Son of the dragon gods
by mairsarmy321
Summary: Since the dawn of time, Ophis and Great-red have been at odds with one another. But, what happens when through and inexplicable twist of fate, a new being was born through their conflict. Follow Issei, the third dragon-god, on his journey as the world will not be same again. Characters are most likely OOC. Might have crossover elements later on
1. Chapter 1

The Dimensional Gap, a location that exists in between all worlds. In its seemingly infinite space, multiple large flashes of red and black can be seen colliding with one another. The two strongest entities in the universe are facing each other in one of their usual battle to claim dominance over the dimensional gap.

One of these fierce entities is a massive red Western Dragon with a horn on his snout and has two sets of wings. His overall length measures around 100 meters. He is the Apocalypse Dragon, the True red Dragon God Emperor and Dragon of Dragons, Great Red.

The other entity is another dragon god, one as fierce and strong as great red, the Ouroboros Dragon God. Although unlike her counterpart, she took the appearance of a women with a beauty so divine and ethereal in nature, no mortal or deity was a match for it. She had long black hair reaching to just a bit below her hips with massive breasts, that even exceeds that of the great Seraph Gabriel, the most beautiful women in Heaven, showing a voluptuous figure that could hypnotize any man if she were to let her aura's pheromones take control, with eyes that were a deep black that could hypnotize you with how mesmerizing they were. Her current outfit is a gothic style uniform with various purple designs and a few infinity symbols but her chest area was open revealing her overflowing breasts out in the open. She was completely barefooted.

Despite Ophis being known as an emotionless being, her current expression is one of one of anger and is directed towards great red.

"For the last time, baka-red, get out of the dimensional gap. The dimensional gap was my home, long before you ever stepped foot in it." Screamed Ophis as she sent out a large amount of energy straight at Great red, who quickly dodged it by flying over the attack.

"**Why should I Ophis, Last I checked, you left for the human world and the dimensional gap was empty of residence so I just moved in. Besides, like I told you a million times already, this place is big enough to house both of us so why don't you give it a rest already**." Replied great red with a sigh.

Ophis burst out a great deal of her aura and yelled out "I WOULD NEVER WANT TO SHARE MY HOME WITH YOU. I CRAVE SILENCE AND YOU, WITH YOUR RIDICULOUS STUNTS AND ANTICS, ARE THE FURTHEST THING FROM SILENCE." She then calmed down a bit and continued "how about you go live in the human world and occupy someone else's home". He simply answered "**No, In the dimensional gap, I can fly freely and do whatever I want without the constant annoyance that occurs in the human world. Plus, I hate how everyone keeps staring at me when I pass by. Frankly its annoying. I'm amazed that you were able to live there for a while. I even heard that you created a team to defeat me even though its futile.**" Great red giggled a bit at the last part.

"How did… I see, you saw it through dreams. No matter, I know it was futile and that is why I am here to finish you off myself as I should have done ages ago. So, for the last time, get out of my home or face elimination" shouted Ophis as she flared out her aura which resounded throughtout the dimensional gap.

Great red flared out his crimson red aura to match hers and shouted in his proud draconian voice "**I will not leave so give me your best shot."**

"YES YOU WILL"

"**NO I WILL NOT**"

Both dragon gods shot their attacks at each other at the same time and when it collided, a huge shockwave reverberated throughout the dimensional gap, which was felt by many of the supernatural races although it quickly subsided.

Back in the dimensional gap, as the smoke clears, both dragon gods were seen relatively unscathed despite the ferocity and strength of the attacks which would have definitely vaporized any god in an instant or even reduced an entire planet to rubble. It's a miracle the dimensional gap was even able to withstand such might. Ironically, this wasn't even their full power which emphasizes how ridiculously powerful these two beings are. As both dragons are about to continue their clash, they see something unexpected happening around them.

The residue of their power, was slowly gathering in the middle of them, twisting and melding together into some type of form.

"Is this your trickery at work, baka-red. No Matter what you do I will get rid of you once and for all".

As amused as Great red was over her tamper tantrum, even he is surprised by this. Despite his powers being able to bend reality and create something from nothing, what was happening in front of him was definitely not from him. So, he decided to wait a bit, and see what will happen.

Ophis was not pleased that great red was ignoring her but, for some inexplicable reason she felt a bit of a tug pulling her towards the form that was being created in from of her, which was crazy considering she should not be feeling any emotions. So, although still very much annoyed with the apocalypse dragon, her curiosity got the better of her as she too waited to see what would occur.

The form continued to gather the excess energy caused by their clash and slowly began to change shape. First it gathered into a huge sphere of red and black energy and slowly began to form the shape of a dragon with 4 wings but then it began to shrink and compress into what seemed to be a human form and all of a sudden, the energy took the form of a baby boy. The boy looked human but you could see on his black 4 draconian wings that were crimson in color like great red however it had dark outlines across his wings, he also possessed baby fangs which were visible, black hair with streaks of red and finally his eyes were draconian eyes, having red sclera with vertically slitted black pupils that represents true dragon's eyes. Across his body were several reddish black dragon scales.

Both Great red and Ophis were flabbergasted by what just occurred. Never had they imagined that their clash would result in the birth of a baby. They could feel that the boy possessed both of their energies making him their son, even though not conceived by normal means. Great red found this turn of events rather fascinating however Ophis's thoughts were a bit different on the matter. At first, she was confused by what happened, than intrigued by the boy but when she sensed both of their energies within the infant making BOTH her and great red its parents, she started yelling

"No way, I refuse to acknowledge that this boy is potentially our offspring. Never have I considered becoming a parent but no way in hell will I ever sire a kid with you of all beings. **The mere thought makes me sick**." Her voice sounded more draconian but still feminine this time around and her eyes changed to that of a dragon's revealing how furious she actually was.

"**That hurt a little**" grumbled Great red, keeping an eye out on what Ophis is doing. Ophis decides to take matters into her own hands as the aura around her manifests darkly around her.

"This accursed creature is a mistake, one I will correct myself" stated Ophis. Although the moment she said that, she felt appalled by her words she could not believe she said, but her fury overwrote her rationality. She gathered a large sphere of energy in the palm of her hands, enough to obliterate the boy in front of her. Great red was surprised by her actions, although he didn't plan for this, he still found the boy to be fascinating and could not allow him to be killed off just like that; plus, he knew it would annoy Ophis so he decided to try and stop her from killing the poor boy.

However, before anyone did anything, the boy suddenly appeared before her and was looking at Ophis. Unknown to both of them, while Ophis was having her tamper tantrum, the boy was slowly making his way towards her, despite the immense aura surrounding Ophis and being a baby not knowing what hostility is, he slowly made his way towards her until he was a few centimeters in front of her and looked straight into her eyes knowing she was his mother.

Ophis stared into the eyes of the boy seeing his innocent beautiful eyes looking straight at her almost as if he is looking straight into her soul. He, on the other hand, reached out to her with his little hands and was about to touch her hand that was filled with immense energy. Should it touch him, it would quickly kill him despite being the spawn of both dragon gods. Despite her raging emotions, the moment the boy was about to touch her, her instincts quickly screamed to spare his life and she instantly dispelled her attack just as he took her hand with both of his. The moment he did, she saw him giggle and give her an adorable smile as he laid upon her chest and slowly went to sleep, knowing he felt safe in her embrace. Ophis quickly wrapped her arms around him to make sure he didn't fall.

Ophis did not understand what was going on with her at this moment. One moment she felt anger, then confusion and now worried all because of this simple boy. What was happening to her?

So many of these emotions were new to her as she has never, in her lifetime, felt them. Now, she felt the need to protect and care for the boy despite the fact that he is also "his" child. What she was currently feeling was her motherly instincts kicking in finally acknowledging the boy as her son. All negative emotions that she was harboring suddenly disappeared as if it was all a dream leaving behind a mother's love. As he lay in her arms, she displayed an expression that no one not even great red could believe. She had a warm smile as she looked over her son and she vowed to herself that she would nurture and care for him as any parent would their child.

As all of this was happening, Great-Red could only stare in disbelief at what was happening before him. Never in a million years did he ever imagine Ophis expressing such deep emotions over a boy she previously wanted to erase. Now, in front of him, lay a mother carrying her baby in their arms and although it wasn't like him, he felt very happy at the majestic scene in front of him. In a way, that boy is also technically his son. Suddenly, he had an idea, one that if it succeeds will could potentially stop Ophis from constantly harassing him out of the dimensional gap and coming after his neck all the time. The downside is his freedom would now be limited. However, the pros outweighed the cons so he decided to take a chance.

"**Ophis**" said great-red. When Ophis attention was redirected to him, he continued "**what would you say to raising this infant together?**"

"Huh, I may have changed my mind about MY child however, why would I let him near the very same being I despise so much" she replied with a fierce voice but not loud enough to wake the baby sleeping in her arms.

"**I see;** **However, remember that he carries both of our energies, making the both of us his parents. Would you deny your son the chance to meet and live with his father? Would you deny him, that right? I'll let you decide**" said great red as he let Ophis think about it.

Ophis wanted to quickly deny his claim but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense to her. Every child is raised by both a mother and a father, no matter if it's the supernatural or the human world and every kid deserves to know who their parents are. No matter how much she despises great-red, Ophis wants nothing but the best for her little hatchling. She let out a large sigh as she looked up to great red and said

"Very well, we will raise o… o… our hatchling together", it was very hard for her to say those words "however you WILL take this role very seriously. So that will mean you will have to stop all your crazy antics and be there for the boy whenever he needs it. If, due to your actions, something happens to him, I swear to you...", she gave him a fierce glare as her aura surrounded her once more "**you will regret it.**" For the very first time in his existence, great red felt fear as a chill went down his spine when she said those words. It reminded of an old saying the humans once said "_Hell hath no fury like a mother's scorn_" and boy were they right.

"_**So this is what fear feels like. Hahahaha. This is very interesting indeed, I wonder how our life will change from here on now. This boy will change history as we know it. I can't wait to see what will you will do … my son." **_Thought great red as his body shined in a bright crimson light and out came a tall man with a muscular build possessing blood red hair, wearing a red coat with black jeans.

"**I understand.**" He flew towards Ophis and looked at the baby who slept peacefully in Ophis arms. "_**I have to admit, he is adorable**_" he thought, as he poked him a bit with his finger which caused the boy body to rustle a bit. The boy in his sleep suddenly muttered "mama… papa" as both dragon gods got very flustered and amazed that the boy could already speak as well and being recognized as parents. Ophis especially was incredibly happy that her son called him mama.

"**What will we name our little hatchling**?" asked great red, leaving the decision up to her. Ophis thought long and hard and looked at her boy with a bright smile and said

"We will name him… Issei. My sweet little Issei."

(Elsewhere)

"Has anyone found where Ophis is, yet", shouted Shalba Beelzebub as he slammed his fist into the table. Around him, were members of the Old maou faction that are now a part of Khaos brigade.

"we… we could not find her sir. We scowered everywhere but could not even detect a trace of her presence anywhere", answered one of his men, albeit frightened.

"Calm own Shalba, you are acting like a child.", answered a buxom women with light brown skin and caramel-brown hair tied in a bun. She wore glasses and a black outfit that is not very decent for public interactions.

"She is right, shalba, Ophis tends to disappear and reappear as she pleases. She will eventually return as she always does." Added another man who was near the woman. His clothes were black with dark red belts and even had a cape. He had black hair tied up to a small ponytail and had violet eyes.

Shalba turned his head towards the two "Katerea, Creuserey, how could you not take this situation seriously. We need Ophis power in order to be able to take back the Underworld from those "fake" Maou. As much as I loath to admit it, Sirzech and the other Maou's strength are too powerful for us to take on and that is why we require Ophis power. She promised us power in exchange for our assistance and yet now she completely disappears off the face of the planet. We cannot proceed with our plans without it." Shouted shalba as he let out his aura a bit showing his frustration at the situation.

Katerea and Creuserey both understood his concern. It was true that they required her power however it hurt their pride as the original descendants of the 4 great Maou to even acknowledge that the current Maou's strength were beyond theirs.

"Ha, you might be outmatched considering the current Beelzebub is indeed a super devil but that little bitch Serafall is in no way superior to me, the original Leviathan." Said katerea with an air of confidence.

"Why you…" before shalba and katerea started a fight, creuserey got between them to try and diffuse the situation: "now, now, let's not fight amongst each other and focus on the task ahead. Although unlikely that they are stronger than us, the fact is that the current Maou's are indeed very strong and our plans would proceed that much easier if we have Ophis power added to our own so we should pool our resources together and find her as soon as possible and bring her back. Would that do Shalba." Shalba looked at Creuserey as his expression and aura calmed down.

"Very Well. Let's make haste then. Men, scour every inch of this planet for her but make sure your activities remain hidden from the three factions" beckoned Shalba as one of his men asked "Should we enlist the aid of the other factions within khaos brigade?"

"Bahh, those weaklings are useless. Angels, humans, magicians are all worthless. We will use them if the need arises. Now GO." His men disappeared via magic circles to begin their search.

"Soon, we will reclaim what is rightfully ours and claim this wretched world for our own." Sneered Shalba as he had an evil grin on his face followed by his fellow faction leaders.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys, to whoever is reading my story, thank you very much for taking the time to read my story. If you have any questions let me know it so I can answer to the best of my abilities

Reviews are always welcomed. I try to update the chapters as best and as fast as I can so please forgive me if there are grammar errors.

Heres Chapter 2. Enjoy

(Dimensional Gap)

After deciding Issei's name, they began to ponder, how would they raise him. It is safe to say that neither of them has had any experience raising a child in their lifetimes. However, they would take it one step at a time and make adjustments as it goes.

(4 years later)

We see Issei flying about in the dimensional gap with his father, as great red is teaching him how to use his wings.

Meanwhile, Ophis is seen reading a manual that she picked from the human world on how to raise kids although it was hard to follow what humans did considering they are dragons so from time to time she sneaked into the dragon territory in the Underworld, ruled by Tannin, the former Dragon king to see how the families raised their younglings.

\\\\\Flashback

To her surprise, although they were different races, they were very similar to how humans raised their young, albeit there are differences such as teaching them how to fly, breath fire, control their powers and other dragon related things. However, she saw them helping them learn to walk, talk, playing with them whenever they could and also let them play and socialize with other hatchlings just like how human take their kids to parks and they play with one another. She even saw some dragons teaching their kids proper manners and etiquette that might be useful in the future. Others are teaching their kids how to fight as dragons

Seeing the younglings play together made her think "_hmm, in terms of fundamental lessons, great-red and I can teach him well however what will we do in terms of social relations?_". Ophis has spent most of her life in solitude and hasn't really had any interactions with many people. The few have only been the members of khaos brigade that joined her but they weren't really social interactions, just business. Except for Vali, who conversed with her from time to time, their hasn't been much exposure to people.

"_I'll talk to red about it and see what he thinks._"

/End of Flashback

Ophis watched Issei attempting to fly using his 4 wings. At first, he staggered and you could see him pout, which she found very cute, but after a few attempts he managed to succeed and is now flying alongside his father. Although, to her dismay, he started performing a few stunts reminding her of great-red but after seeing his happy expression, she decided to let things go.

Still for a small child, he learned things pretty quickly. At only 4 years old, he is able to speak pretty well and absorbs everything they teach him very fast. They are both extremely proud of his progress as would any parent their kid.

He was also really powerful, which comes at no surprise being the child of two supreme dragons, however a few days after his birth, they realized that his power was way too strong for his body to handle and if something was not done, the boy would have been extinguished by his own power so Great-red conjured multiple levels of seals that sealed most of Issei's power. They agreed that they would teach him over time how to control his strength and as he becomes stronger, the seals will be released 1 at a time until he masters his powers and takes his rightful place as the third dragon god in existence. Ophis was sure that in time he would surpass her and eventually great-red.

Despite most of his power sealed, he still possesses much strength within him, being stronger than a high-class devil but not yet at Ultimate-Class which for a 4-year-old hatchling is very strong.

"Daddy, wait for me" breathed heavily Issei as he tried to catch up to his father. "you are going to fast." Great-red looked over his shoulder to see a panted issei as he slowed down waiting until issei caught up.

"**Oh sorry, Issei. Still you are making great progress for a 4-year-old hatchling. It shows you possess great untapped potential. Isn't that right, Ophis?**"

Issei looked back to see his mother coming so he flew straight at her and hugged her. "Mommy."

With a warm smile, Ophis reciprocated the hug and she held him close to her chest.

"Hi Issei, I see you are learning to fly properly. As expected from my son. I am so very proud of you." Stated Issei as she kissed his forehead. Issei giggled a bit because it tickled him when his mother did this.

"As your father said, you hold great potential inside of you waiting to be unlocked and eventually when you learn to master yourself and your power, I have no doubt you will eventually surpass us." Stated Ophis with absolute confidence. Issei was very happy when she said that

"you really think so mom? Will I be as strong as you? Will I be as awesome as daddy?" he said with sparkling eyes which caused Ophis to laugh a bit.

"Yes Issei, although I don't think cool is the right word to describe your father."

"**HEY, I HEARD THAT.**" Shouted Great-Red. Issei laughed and soon started yawning showing how tired he was. He was practicing very hard so it was only naturel. Untapped potential or not, he is still 4 years old and requires sleep. Ophis saw this and started singing a lullaby she heard in the human world and slowly Issei closing his eyes until he went to sleep.

"Good night my little Issei." Said Ophis as she looked at great-red and he conjured a bed for issei to sleep in. After safely tucking him in, she turned to great-red

"Have you thought about the conversation we had previously?"

"**Yes and I do have a proposal if you are willing to hear it."** Stated Great-Red.

"Go ahead."

"**Well, the only way for him to develop his social skills is to be able to mingle with other kids his age so I propose moving in the human world and let him play with kids his age.**" Proposed Red.

"Wouldn't he be better off mingling with other dragon hatchlings. Humans are different than dragons."

"**I considered that fact and could ask Tannin, however if we show up in the Underworld, there is a good chance someone may notice us and that will lead to Issei's reveal to the supernatural world and I would like to keep him a secret until he is ready to take care of himself."**

"You speak as if I would let anything happen to my little Issei." She let out her aura a bit, not to much to not wake up issei, "**I would eliminate anyone who dares harm even a single hair on my precious Issei.**" Explained Ophis.

"**So would I. However, he is a dragon and eventually will take flight to start his own journey. No dragon likes to feel restraint, not even by his parents. We will nurture and protect him until he reaches maturity and when he is ready to leave us, we will watch over him as he grows to become a splendid Dragon-God."** Stated Great-Red as he looked up as if in thought.

For a second, Ophis felt admiration towards Great-Red which she could not believe.

"Despite being an idiot, you sometimes say smart things." Said Ophis with a smile.

"**I have my moments.**" Grinned great-red as he didn't care that she called him Baka-red anymore. "**So have you pondered on my idea or do you require more time.**"

Ophis thought about it and answered "I find your idea plausible, however, even though it is the human world, there is still a chance for Issei to be revealed to the supernatural world. His draconic aura might invite enemies towards him and I'm scared to take that chance."

This is probably the first time she has ever felt fear for something in her life as her body shook at the mere thought of Issei getting hurt.

"I I I just don't want anything bad to happen ho him. If something were to happen to him, I don't know what I'd do." Stated Ophis as a few drop of tears come out from her. So many new emotions that she didn't even know she could have are coming out to the surface and she doesn't know how to deal with it.

Great-Red was flabbergasted, never would he have imagined seeing Ophis display such pure emotions. He thought about how he should calm her to which an idea popped up but it might result in him getting his ass whooped. "_here goes nothing, hopefully I survive the onslaught._" Thought great-red as he came close to her and suddenly hugged her. Ophis looked straight at him confused and angry at the same time "What do you think you ar.." before she could finish he interrupted her

"**What you are feeling right now is very normal, Ophis. You are overprotective of Issei as any mother would when considering the safety of their hatchling. But, you shouldn't worry so much**," he said in a calm voice as great-red wiped her tears off her eyes "**As I told you before, we will ensure that he is well protected and nurtured every step of the way. No matter what problems may occur, I'm pretty confident we will get through it and protect Issei from whatever danger may happen.**" With a grin he adds "**After all, we aren't the two most powerful beings in the universe for nothing.**"

After his speech, Ophis redirects her gaze downwards and removes herself from his grasp. "_Oh crap, I may have overdone it_" thought great-red as he believed Ophis to be mad at him for embracing her. She turned around as her back is facing him "I'll only say this once, so make sure you listen..." as great-red prepared himself for a thrashing she said "Thank you" in a low and flustered voice although not low enough for great-red to not understand what she said.

That was honestly something he didn't expect but he was at least relieved he wasn't going to get beaten up. "**Your welcome**" he replied. Ophis wiped away the remaining of her tears and faced great-red once again.

"When should we prepare to move to the human world?" asked Ophis.

"**I believe around the time Issei reaches 5 years old. That will give me enough time to make preparations and pick a suitable location to live in.**" Answered Great-red.

"Very well, go ahead."

With a nod of his head, Great-red teleported via his own magic circle to begin his search. Ophis looked at Issei's sleeping form and decided to sleep near him even though she does not require it. She placed herself near Issei and feeling his mother near him caused Issei to move a bit and instinctually went to hug her. Although, since he is small, he was simply hugging her arm. Seeing this, Ophis smiled brightly at him as she brought him closer to her chest and soon drifted off to sleep.

Unknown to her, a bit farther lay a bat like familiar that was looking over them and then it teleported out of the dimensional gap.

"At last, after all these years, we finally found her. Shalba-sama and the others will be pleased to hear the news." Said the owner of the bat familiar.

"hmm, who do you think is that kid sleeping near her. It seems to be very important to Ophis?" asked another servant.

"Who knows, we will let the leaders decide what to do. For now, we must let them know this information as soon as possible. Shalba-sama is already pissed at us for taking so long to find her. Anymore and it could have been our heads."

Everyone else nodded and teleported to their headquarters.

(At the old-Satan faction headquarters)

The group headed to the council group where are the leaders are located.

"Shalba-sama, katarea-sama, creuserey-sama, we have finally succeeded in locating Ophis." Said one of the servants.

"About time you found her. It's been over 4 years since she disappeared. Why has it taken you fools so long to find her" shouted Shalba.

Shaken with fear, the servant shuttered "be be because she was located in the last place we thought to look."

"Where would that be?" asked Katarea.

"In the Dimensional Gap." As the servant displayed a projection of Ophis and Issei.

"Why, in Satan's name, did it take you idiots four FREAKING years to look into the dimensional gap" roared Shalba as his aura leaked out from him. He was clearly not in a good mood.

"its… its… be because Great-Red is living in there and since Ophis despises him, we believed she wouldn't set foot in there until Great-red is removed." Said the servant trembling and scared for his life. Even though Shalba wanted to end this fool's life, he could not refute their reasoning considering the fact that Ophis gathered them specifically for that purpose. He somewhat calmed down after a moment and said

"haah, very well. Now dismiss." They bowed and left the room as quickly as possible leaving behind the leaders who were conversing with each other.

"This is troubling news. If she is in the dimensional gap, does that mean that she managed to defeat Great-Red by herself and if so, it would mean that she would not be willing to give us her powers anymore" stated Creuserey as Shalba immediately refuted him.

"I highly doubt that simply due to the fact that if her strength alone was sufficient, she would have never created the Khaos Brigade and would have simply engaged him long ago."

"Then, what of Great-red? Has he taken residence somewhere else because there is no way Ophis would share the dimension gap with him." queried Creuserey.

"I don't know and the truth is I don't really care at this point. Our primary concern was locating Ophis location and now that we have found her, we must find a way to acquire her power once more. Our plans have been delayed for too long searching her" claimed Shalba.

"And how exactly are we going to achieve that? Through brute force? You know as well as I that it is stronger than us. The only reason it promised us power was to help it kill great red and return to the dimensional gap!" Creuserey explained.

"I know you idiot. There must be some way to force it to give us its power."

Eventually, Creuserey noticed that Katerea was silent during their entire conversation and decided to ask

"Katerea, is everything ok, you are unusually silent?".

"I've been examining the image left behind by the servants while you two have been uselessly bickering.". Shalba twitched at that while Creuserey simply continued to listen "Now that I have both your attention, didn't any of you notice something amiss about that image?". Both of them took the time to examine the image once more and quickly noticed what she meant.

"Who in blazes is that kid?"

"A new recruit perhaps."

"What aid can a mere child offer in a battle against Great-Red." Exclaimed Shalba.

"hmhmhm" giggled Katerea, "you two aren't looking carefully. The boy is much more precious to her than a mere recruit. Just look at Ophis's expression." Responded Katarea as she point at the image of Ophis.

Shalba immediately retorted "What in blazes are you saying Katarea? Ophis doesn't possess any emo…" As both looked at Ophis's face, they became astounded as she expressed a pure smile.

Now, they were shocked beyond belief, Ophis displayed a smile of pure happiness while embracing the boy. "_What the hell!"_ they both thought. It is impossible for Ophis, a being born from nothingness to be able to display any kind of emotions and yet the image before them disproves that. No words came out of their mouth as they contemplated the oddity before them as Katarea continued to hypothesize a theory.

"The way she acts with that boy appears to be how a mother would with their son."

Shalba practically jumped out of his seat as he shouted "What bullshit are you spewing now? The Ouroboros has no son that anyone knows about."

"Then do you have any theory about Ophis's situation right now? In all our time in Khaos brigade, have you ever seen it react like this towards us? At best, all I've seen close to a smile was a small smirk it had when speaking to the White Dragon Emperor. If you have an idea, then I'm all ears" she asked.

As much as he wanted to refute her, she was right. He had no suggestions to counter her nor could he think of anything that could explain this anomaly.

"Anyways, why not look at this as an opportunity?" she continued.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Creuserey. She looked at the two of them forming a small smirk "Weren't you two talking about how to get Ophis to give us its power. The answer is right in front of us." As she pointed at the kid. "Whether it's its child, spawn or ally, we can deduce that he is an existence who is extremely important to it. So, if say, we manage to kidnap him and use him as a hostage, we'll be able to use him as leverage for Ophis to give us its powers." Shalba agreed with her view however Creuserey has a different opinion on the matter.

"Your idea is plausible, if not for the simple fact that we are dealing with the Ouroboros dragon. If, as you claim, the boy is important to it, the moment we try something Ophis will annihilate us."

"Which is why we must be extremely careful with how to deal with this. It will take some time but if we plan things correctly, we will be able to negotiate with it and claim Ophis power for our purposes. Unless, you guys have a better idea on how to persuade it to give us its powers?" stated Katarea.

Both of the team leaders could not think of anything. After a brief period of thinking, Shalba let out a sigh and said "Very well, we will go with your suggestion, Katarea. We will send our men to spy on them and report every detail to us so we can thoroughly plan our next move. In the end, we require its power so we will use whatever means necessary to attain it."

"Do we have a backup plan should this not work?" asked a worried Creuserey.

"If worst comes to worst, we might have to ask "him" for aid however that will only be as a last resort." Stated Shalba as both other leaders understood what he meant. They could only hope that their plan will work.

"Assemble our best infiltration and concealment team and let them know of their mission."

"Yes." Both stated as they teleported via their magic circles.

CHAPTER END

Reviws are always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you very much everyone for the reviews and i can see a lot of you enjoy my story for which i am ever so grateful. For my first story to get such positive reviews makes me very happy. I'll try my best to update whenever i can although it will not be freaquent due to work and school taking up most of my time. I'll strive to update chapters as quickly as i can.**_

Back in the dimensional gap, Issei is now 5 years and he is currently breathing fire out of his mouth. When he first saw his father and even his mother do it, he was amazed by how cool they looked and so he decided he wanted to do it as well. He is a dragon after all and what is a dragon without the ability to breath fire. However, it was not as easy as it looked. He tried to focus power in the pits of his stomach and when he breathed out he could only get a small burst of flames. He had tried many attempts at this but they all ended in failure. He made a cute pouting face whenever things didn't go his way which Ophis found absolutely adorable. She went to him and when he saw her, he came running towards her and asked her with puppy eyes

"Mom, what am I doing wrong. I tried and tried but I can't seem to make it work like you and dad showed me." pouted Issei. She smiled and answered "Do not worry, my little Issei, it takes time and practice to be able to do it and I know you will eventually get the hang of it. In fact, you were able to breath out a small amount of flames which is incredible at your age."

"Really?" asked Issei. Ophis patted his head "Yes". At that moment, Ophis saw Great-red teleporting back in, "Why don't you continue playing while I talk with your father?" said Ophis. With a nod of his head and a wave towards his father which he reciprocated, Issei went back to doing his thing while Ophis went to talk with Great-Red.

"How's everything going on your end?"

"**All preparations have been made. The place we are going to inhabit is located in japan called Kuoh. From what I can tell, that place is the territory of the Gremory Devil's family. In my opinion, it is the perfect place to raise Issei because not only will we be able to remain hidden but, from what I could tell, not many beings have the guts to incur the wrath of the Gremory family specifically the super devil Sirzechs Lucifer. I have acquired us a house and just to be sure no one recognises us, we will conceal our presence and aura so that no supernatural beings can locate us.**" Stated great-red as he reverted to his human form.

Ophis nodded as she placed her hand on her chin and asked "Are you sure it's a good idea to reside in devil territory? They have many conflicts with the other Christian factions which could lead to us getting indirectly involved. Wouldn't it have been better to live in a city where only humans reside?" She was worried that being in a city with supernatural beings would cause Issei to be revealed that much sooner than she wanted. His safety is her top priority at the moment.

Great-red sensing her distress replied "**At first, I also thought about living in a human region without any supernatural beings but there are several issues pertaining that. Although we can conceal our presence completely from outside forces, Issei is still too young to master that ability; therefore, his draconic presence might leak from time to time and in a place devoid of supernatural entities will be sensed by other factions which could lead to them sending people to investigate the unknown presence. On top of that, in todays era, dragons, especially powerful ones, are feared by all factions so in the worst case, Gods and other forces may be sent to try and deal with us forcefully. Granted, with our combined might, we could easily deal with any puny gods that come our way but our son might be caught in the crossfire which is something I really don't even want to think about. That is why I chose a location that is controlled by the devils. Since they control the territory, other factions would not be able to intervene even if they were able to sense us. We would only have to deal with evading devil sentries which by placing barriers around our place would do. We will use the devil's influence over this place to hide ourselves in plane sight until our little Issei is strong enough to protect himself." **

Ophis was very impressed by great-red at the moment. She never pegged him as an intellectual type of dragon due to his constant laid back attitude and so she let out a small laugh.

"**Whats so funny?**" great-red asked, a bit ticked that she was laughing at him.

"Oh, its nothing really, just I never imagined you being this smart. It seems baka-red is no longer baka." Said Ophis to which great red just stated

"**I was never dumb to begin with, you and I are both entities that have been born way before any Gods roamed the world and therefore have the intelligence to back it up. I was just never serious about anything in my time in the dimensional gap. I simply wanted to roam free but now…**" he paused and looks at Issei flying about and trying to shot out fire "**I have a reason to take things seriously**" he said in a firm and decisive tone.

"You are right" she replied as she too stared at Issei.

Great-red wanting to get back on track continued "**So, are you ok with moving to Kuoh or would you like to keep searching?**".

To tell the truth, Ophis really did not want to move anywhere. She wanted to keep Issei in the dimensional gap where she knew he would be safe from any harm but she also knew it would be detrimental to his upbringing. Anyway, sooner or later, Issei will get curious enough to go visit the human world and may get himself into trouble without them knowing, which is something she wants to avoid desperately. After careful amount of consideration, she yielded and told Red "I'm alright with it. No matter where we go, there will always be risks that come along with it. All we can do is limit them as much as we can" she sighed as she looked to Issei

"Issei"

Having heard his mom calling him, he flew over near her.

"Yes, mom." He said, with a big smile on his face and his tail swigging like a puppy. His hair was a bit messy, his wings a bit charred due to all the practice he's been doing but Ophis does not mind it at all. It just makes him look that much cuter. She bent down to be able to look at him at eye level and told him in a sweet tone "We are going to be moving today to the human world. The reason being that it has come to our attention that it would do you some good to socialize and play around with kids your age instead of being secluded here in the dimensional gap. You will get to meet new people, make friends, experience things we cannot teach you and much more. Are you ready to leave?" explained Ophis. She secretly hoped that Issei would not want to leave the dimensional gap and would be afraid to go to an unknown place which is why she was incredibly surprised when Issei shouted

"REALLY! yahoo let's go." Issei was jumping up and down showing how excited he is. Unknown to both Ophis and Great-Red, Issei had been secretly planning to visit the human world for some time. From time to time, ripples in the dimensional gap would appear and through them Issei caught a glimpse of the outside world ranging from seeing kids play in the park to even seeing devils and angels go about their business. Saying that this didn't captivate his attention would be a lie. Ophis earlier concern was actually spot on. He became curious about the "outside" world and all the wonders it may contain and therefore was planning to somehow sneak away. Luckily, he doesn't have to do that now since his mom just told him they would be living there which got him very excited at the revelation.

Ophis nodded and brought Issei to Great-red as he prepared the teleportation magic circle to take them to their new home. Ophis looks around and breaths a heavy sigh.

"**What's wrong?**" asked Great-red.

"I cannot believe that I am voluntarily leaving the dimensional gap so soon after I came back, much less with you of all things. The silence I craved so heavily is being given up so easily yet, unexpectedly, I don't feel bad about it." She said looking at Issei.

Great red simply replied "**Well I cannot believe I will be raising a family together with you but it seems fate had a different goal in mind for us.**" He looks at Issei "**All the problems and issues that will eventually arise is something my previous self would never, in a million years, have taken. Yet honestly, I can safely say I wouldn't have it any other way**" with a big grin on his face. Ophis lightly blushed at what he said but quickly suppressed it thinking "_was I just flustered by what he said! No no no no this is baka-red!_".

"**The magic circle is ready, are you ready**?" asked great-red unaware of the inner turmoil Ophis just had. She quickly shook herself back to reality and just nodded her head signaling that she is ready. The three of them got teleported to the front of their new house. Surprisingly, the house wasn't anything grandiose. It was a normal two-story terrace house with a light blue exterior, a balcony on the second floor, and a brown roof. The first floor includes a living room and kitchen while the second floor has 3 bedrooms with bathrooms. Considering Great-red personality, Ophis thought he would get them an extravagant house but since great-red did not want to attract attention to them from both the human and supernatural side, he got them a normal house.

"**This is the place we will be living in for a long time. Do you like it Issei?**". Before he could answer his father, he bolted inside the house as his excitement was through the roof.

"**Well… that answers that**" both dragon gods giggled at his own comment. As they were going in, Ophis noticed a few barriers surrounding the house, understanding that they were used to keep "unwanted" people away and keep them hidden as well as for Issei's protection should they need it. Being the Ouroboros Dragon god, she could feel the devil presences in the town as well as a few fallen angels. Although too weak to pose a threat to them, she would rather avoid any unnecessary conflicts that may arise from coming into contact with them. She notices in front of the door, a sign that says "Hyoudou" and looks puzzled at Great-red who understood what she was getting at and told her.

"**I've given us the family name Hyoudou while we reside here in order to keep up appearances. To the outside world, the Hyoudou family resides here.**" Ophis acknowledged with a nod that she understood what he said. Now their new lives will begin today and not even she knows what the future may bring.

Issei, at the moment, was extremely excited. Why shouldn't he be? This is the place he caught a glimpse of in the dimensional gap and has, since then, peeked his curiosity. He could not wait to go outside and explore the wonders of the world. Unlike most kids his age who are very timid and shy, he is very outgoing and willing to try new things. He wanted to go visit the "park" he saw back then and hopefully play with other kids. His parents did explain to him that he needed to be very careful due to his origins and the fact that he had to keep his race a secret as humans will be absolutely terrified of him should they find out he was a dragon. He had to be cautious that he doesn't accidently sprout his wings out or breaths fire out of his mouth. He promised his parents that he would be very careful and make sure to keep out of trouble otherwise they would not let him play outside.

After getting accommodated to the new house, Issei immediately bolted towards the nearest park and luckily for him was not very far. Ophis, worried about his safety, wanted to immediately follow him but was quickly stopped by great red who waved his head side to side telling her that they should allow Issei to live his own life on his own terms without their intervention. Ophis argued back that he is too young to take care of herself but was reprimanded by great red when he reminded her that he was a dragon and many dragon parents allow their young the freedom to do as they want to give them a sense of individuality and sometimes responsibility. He goes to tell her that she worries to much and that should anything happen, they could quickly intervene to help him as they can sense him anywhere he goes. After constant back and forth bickering, Ophis reluctantly agreed to let Issei do what he want, for the moment, but made sure to tell great red that if anything were to happen to her little Issei, he would understand the meaning of the term "hell on earth". A drop of sweat could be seen on Great-red face when she said that but he nodded nonetheless thinking "_**I hope you'll be ok Issei or I might really end up dying today.**_"

(Issei POV)

I quickly ran out of our house in search of the playground, also known as a park, I've seen only glimpses of back in the gap. I remember seeing that place surrounded with many different kids my age playing amongst themselves having fun. I hope that they will let me play with them and, hopefully, I'll be able to make friends.

After a while, he finally made his way to the park and the place was exactly as amazing as he saw it back in the dimensional gap. No, it was even better because he was able to see it with his very own eyes, in person. He saw kids playing tag together, kids swinging on swings, playing ball and many other things. It made him really impatient at the thought of being able to try new things he couldn't even dream off back home in the gap. He was grateful to his parents for trying their best to raise and protect him by themselves. He loves them both very much and would do anything for them, but secretly, he longed to be able to see the outside world and, as previously mentioned, was about to sneak away from the gap and into the human world. However, that was in the past and now his parents allowed him to play outside which he will now take full advantage of. He first approached the group of kids playing tag and when he got close, they all stopped to look at him.

"Hello, my name is Issei." He greeted them with a wave of his hand expecting them to interact with one another. Unfortunately, the response he got was something rather unexpected. Instead of replying all the kids slowly back away from him not even bothering to answer him or even talk to him. Issei thought it odd but decided not to pursue and instead tried going to play with a different group. Regrettably, the same outcome occurred with every other group of kids. No one wanted anything to do with him.

Issei did not understand what was going on. "_Why was everyone avoiding me? Did I do something to offend them?" _He pondered a bit and believed that maybe all of them were nervous at a new kid suddenly appearing out of nowhere. They were probably a bit spooked by his appearance, which would make sense as kids are taught to not trust strangers. So, instead of becoming depressed, he left for home intending on trying again the next day where he might have better luck. He is a brave and cherry person for a 5-year-old child. Sadly, reality is a cruel and fickle thing. For the following week, Issei attempted to interact with other children, but time and time again to his sorrow, they either continued to avoid him or straight up ignored him. To make matters worse, sometimes, even parents took their kids away from Issei. As this continued, Issei heart slowly broke. He could not understand why everyone was treating him like a plague, a nuisance.

A sniff could be heard from Issei as he wandered back home with a teardrop falling from his face.

"Why won't anyone play with me? What did I do?" Issei asked himself as he started crying looking at the ball he's currently holding. He did not understand why everyone was so afraid of him as if he were a monster; furthermore, if that weren't bad enough, many simply ignored his presence completely as if they wanted nothing to do with him. Even though Issei is a dragon god, he is still only a child, and to be alienated and treated horribly by everyone around him only hurt his feelings deeply.

Unbeknownst to him, the reason everyone kept fearing and avoiding him is due to one simple fact. It was something that every dragon possesses and that is "Aura". Every dragon whether high or low class has something that differentiates them with other dragons and other species in general and that being the manifestation of their aura. It is basically the nucleus of every living dragon for them to use their powers and with age and experience their aura would manage to gain certain properties that would help them grow at an alarming pace even amongst their own kind. For instance, the two heavenly dragons Draig and Albion. When draig 'awoke' his aura, the trait he received was of Domination, that's when, he gained his first ability related to his "Aura of Domination" which were his flames capable of annihilating even gods reducing them to ash. The same for Albion, who gained the trait of Supremacy which gave birth to his venom ability that had the same lethal potential as Draigs flames. Even Ophis and Great red have aura's symbolising their concept. Ophis's aura being infinite symbolising the infinity of nothingness while great-red aura represents the illusion of dreams. Issei, is no different, being the son of not one but two dragon gods and essentially being born off both aura's meshing together, his aura awoke the moment he was born. Even though his parents are able to completely conceal their parents and auras from others, Issei does not due to him being too young to know how to do so; therefore, to supernatural beings he would be seen as a powerful individual but to humans, his aura gives a frightening feeling and they could only view him as a monster much to his dismay.

As he continued walking, he passed by a staircase that led to a shrine above. For reasons unknown, Issei climbed the stairs and headed to the shrine. Once he reached the entrance, he spotted someone cleaning the entryway just a few meters ahead of him. It would be an encounter that would change his life entirely. It was a young girl around his age or possibly one year older than him. When he saw her, he was mesmerized by her appearance. She had black raven hair tied in a bun that went till her shoulders, was dressed in a traditional miko outfit but what drew his attention were her beautiful violet eyes. Issei was so enthralled that he did not realize that he was slowly making his way towards her until he accidently stepped on a branch that snapped as he stepped on it. His instinct quickly kicked in as he hid behind a nearby tree but not before the girl managed to catch a glimpse of him doing the act.

"Hello, Who is it?" she asked approaching towards his general vicinity. Inside, Issei was panicking. Should he reveal and introduce himself since she already knows he is here? He wanted too but the second he was about to step out from behind the tree, he froze as flashbacks of all the previous encounters he had with other children assaulted his mind and now he was scared that she too would be afraid of him and most likely run away. For a moment, he did not know what to do but with a quick glance, he saw that she would find him either way. Therefore, with stiff movements, he slowly came out of his hiding place as he made eye contact with the girl. Up close, she looked even prettier than she did when looking from afar. They stared at each other for a moment and Issei recognized that the girl was a bit startled by him. He panicked thinking it was going to be same situation all over again. He looked at the ball in his hands and decided to take a final chance. Should he fail, he will give up and seclude himself in his home with his parents. If he was going to continue experience this misery then he would rather not live in such a world.

In a panicked voice he asked while showing her his ball "h…h…hello, I'm issei, w… would you l l like to play with me mmme". He staggered his speech, looking at the ground beneath him, out of nervousness which is reasonable considering what he went through. On the other hand, the girl was very surprised by his demeaner. She did feel a bit afraid from his aura but when she saw him stagger, she found him to be very cute and giggled a bit.

"Hello, I'm Akeno Himejima. It's nice to meet you and I would love to play with you" she answered with a sweet smile. Issei was extremely shocked at her answer. He honestly expected her to shy away from him like everyone else but instead she agreed to play with him and is even looking at him straight in the eye. To him, it felt like an incredible weight has been lifted from his shoulders as he looked her in the eye with a big smile on his face.

"hhhhai, thank you so much"

"ufufufu, you're funny. Let's play since you brought a ball." She said.

They both started playing in the entryway of the shrine considering how big it was. Issei was currently extremely content that he finally had someone to play with him and he hoped she would become his first friend in this world. As they were playing, suddenly a strong presence made itself known right behind Issei. His instincts screamed at him that he was in danger. He looked behind him to find a middle aged, gruff-looking man with black hair, matching beard and had a muscular body. What grabbed his attention were the ten black wings that were located on his back.

"Akeno, get away from him. Who are you boy?" demanded Barakiel, father of Akeno.

He had recently come home from a mission only to find his daughter playing with a boy around her age. At first, he was very happy for her since there were very few instances, if not any at all, that she was able to step outside the safety of her home and play like any kid her age should. Both his wife and him were very concerned for her upbringing. Still, Barakiel had many enemies and the last thing that he wanted was for them to know about his family's existence and place their safety in peril. Even Shuri's family would no doubt want to get rid of Akeno for being part fallen angel. Therefore, they had no choice but to keep her safe in the shrine as much as possible. So, to see her play without a care in the world brought a smile to his face; regrettably, that did not last very long. When he looked at the boy, he felt a tremendous power radiating from him. It wasn't stronger than him but coming from what seems to be a 5-year-old boy raised alarm bells in his head. He quickly switched to his protective father mode as he became extremely worried for Akeno's safety. Being a Fallen Angel Cadre, in his long line of work, he has seen and faced many different beings and there exists Youkai demons that can shapeshift forms to attract children. Even worst still, this could potentially be a ploy from one of his many enemies that managed to discover the location of his family. Although, a small part of his mind disagreed with those thoughts, first, due to the fact that his aura felt raw and primal, more powerful than any youkai could ever hope to achieve and second, if his enemies really did find his family they would have sent an entire battalion to deal with him and not some elaborate scheme like this. Either way, it did not change what he had to do. He would eliminate any threat to his family no matter who or what they were.

Issei looked up at Barakiel, his body trembling from the hostility sent towards him.

"Mymymy name is Issei and I don't mean to cause any harm. I was only playing with Akeno." Answered Issei to Barakiel trying to quell his anger towards him. He could sense that he was way stronger than him and could get rid of him quite easily if the being in front of him wanted too.

Akeno seeing this quickly came to his defense.

"Tou-san, Issei and I were simply playing with one another. He isn't trying to hurt me. He is a sweet boy and a new friend of mine" said Akeno firmly looking at Issei when she said her last statement with a smile. Issei felt happiness overwhelm him not only because she came to his defense but mostly because she called him her friend. Something he desperately wanted to achieve the past week.

"Thank you" he quietly murmured to himself as well as blushing a bit, not knowing that Akeno saw and heard him making her blush a bot when she saw his expression.

"He's so cute" she thought to herself.

Seeing this interaction caused Barakiel wrath to slowly evaporate. Although his guard wasn't down, he could clearly see that he may have overreacted on the poor boy. In addition, seeing his daughter blush at the young boy made him giggle a little as he believed that Akeno may have discovered her first crush. Before he could apologize to Issei for his behaviour, he sensed an overwhelming powerful presence phasing into existence right in front of them. Black aura in the shape of snakes suddenly began materializing and from it emerged an angry Ophis who witnessed the events transpire.

_**Thanks for reading. Sorry if the conversation between Akeno and Issei is a bit wierd but it's my first time writing so please forgive me.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing my story and i appreciate the time you are taking to reading my first ever story.**

Unbeknownst to Issei, she had been secretly following him during the past week to make sure he was safe and what she saw absolutely infuriated her. She witnessed many kids and even adults ostracize Issei for being different. No one wanted him nearby and this caused Issei to become depressed. She could see it in his expression even though he tried so hard to hide it from her and Great-red. However, both understood that something happened so Ophis immediately decided to trail him the following days with Great-red warning her not to get involved too much otherwise it wouldn't be good for his growth and also to prevent other forces from discovering their presence in the city.

What right did any of these pathetic humans have to treat her little Issei this way? They should be grateful that their children would have the privilege of playing with her son and yet they dare to treat him this way. It took every ounce of willpower she had to not erase them from existence then and there. Even worse was the sad expression Issei made after every failed encounter which had torn her heart, something she always believed she never had, asunder when she saw him. She wanted to run and embrace him in a warm and loving hug telling him that everything would be alright but knowing that issei was trying his hardest not to worry them and kept on trying again and again, kept her from acting. She was extremely proud of his unyielding resolve to succeed. That is a quality that very few possess especially at only 5 years old.

Yet, now this pathetic fallen angel was attempting to kill HER son. The very thought of her son dying sent a shiver down her spine. At the same time, an all-consuming anger erupted from her being which was directed at Barakiel. Luckily, throughout the years, she managed to learn how to control her powers so it is only aimed at the people she wants to target rather than having everyone able to sense her infinite aura. In the past, it didn't matter to her whether people detected her presence or not as she was infinite and no one, safe for great-red and one other, could even put a dent on her. But now, she had a son to worry about and the last thing she wanted was to attract attention towards themselves and risk Issei getting caught in the crossfire.

Barakiel, on the other hand, was on full alert at the moment. He instantly knew who the being in front of him was and his face carried an expression of fear knowing that in front of him was the Infinite Dragon God, Ophis. He was currently pondering what he should do. Should he call for reinforcements? No, even the entire fallen angel faction combined would not be able to put a dent on her. She was the most powerful being in the world for a reason. It would only lead to his faction's extinction, something that needed to be avoided at all costs. After evaluating his options, he could not think of any way to deal with the current situation. Nevertheless, behind him was his family and he would give his life to at least give them a chance to run away. Determined to keep Ophis away from them, he was about to engage her when suddenly a small figure stood between them. With his four draconic wings spread out as well as his arms spread out, Issei placed himself in between his mother and Akeno's dad in order to hopefully spare him from her wrath. He knew of his mother's overprotectiveness of him and was very grateful that she loved him so; however, if, he didn't do something, she would send Akeno's dad into oblivion which would make Akeno very sad. He has finally found somebody who did not shun him as if he were a monster and more particularly had actually called him her friend, something he desperately wanted since arriving in this town.

"Mom, please wait!" he said, looking straight at his mother. Both parties were surprised by his actions. Barakiel was surprised that the boy was willing to protect him despite the fact that he was ready to kill him moments ago. But what shocked him the most was the words that came out of Issei's mouth. _"Did he just say mom. As far as we know, the Ouroboros dragon has never had a child. Is he perhaps a new member of her group that Azazel has been talking about? What is going here?" _thought Barakiel to himself as he tried to evaluate the situation further. According to Azazel, Ophis has never been interested in anything other than to attain silence so the thought of her having a son and taking care of a family was very impractical. However, Azazel also mentioned that Ophis had completely disappeared off the face of the world around 5 years ago which is about the age of the young boy in front of him. No one knows what happened to it, yet everyone was secretly happy they didn't need to deal with it so they all let it be except for a few leaders such as Azazel and Sirzech.

Ophis did not understand why her son stood in between her and that bird. If she was rational, she would have taken the time to think about it but currently she was in a state of rage. This feeble fallen angel dared to raise his hand against her own son and that was inexcusable.

"Issei, please get out of the way. That little vermin dared to raise his hand against you, my own son and I will not tolerate it. **I will erase him from existance**" Ophis said looking at Barakiel who flinched at her infuriated gaze. However, Issei would not budge.

"No mom, Akeno's father did nothing wrong. He was only trying to protect his daughter from harm, just as you would for me. SO please don't do this, if you do I… I… I will hate you." Issei retorted. It was extremely difficult to utter that last part because he sincerely loves his mother but he did not want her to kill his first friend father as it would make her sad.

Ophis, on the other hand, was extremely devastated at his last remark. If there was one thing she truly feared in this world was for her little Issei to start resenting her. She did not want that at all. Her enraged state was replaced with a bitter state as her aura slowly dissipated. Everyone became silent when two new voices were heard.

"What is going on here?" "**What is going on here?**"

The first voice came from a beautiful women who resembled an older version of Akeno. She had long raven hair tied by a ponytail and was garbed in a Miko outfit. She was Akeno's mother and the wife of Barakiel. She had sensed the tension outside her house and came out to make sure everything was alright. She came out to see barakiel with his wings spread out and holy lightning coming out from him facing off against a gorgeous woman who by definition would be the epitome of beauty. In between them was a child who seems to be trying to stop the engagement and Akeno who is worriedly looking at them from the side. She did not understand what was going on and would have to ask her husband to clarify the situation for her.

The second entity that came was none other than great-red having sensed Ophis power from his new home, he knew that something had gone horribly wrong and immediately teleported to where Ophis was to try and mitigate the situation before she does anything crazy as well as check if Issei was alright. He arrives to see the same situation as Shuri, although in his mind, he was impressed by his son to have managed to stand up to his mother. "_I'm proud of you my son_" he thought showing a small grin on his face. It seems that Issei managed to solve the issue without any bloodshed for now. Still, he now needed to understand the situation and would talk with Ophis to see just what happened.

"mom" "dad" was heard simultaneously from Akeno and Issei respectively.

As both dragged their respective family apart, they started questioning them on the events that previously transpired.

(Shuri and Barakiel)

After Barakiel explained to his wife what happened, he got slapped in the face which surprised him greatly. Even worst, was the look of anger that his wife directed at him.

"Of course, she would react like that! You threatened to hurt her child. As a mother, I completely understand her feelings on the matter. I would have reacted the same way had our daughter been in the same situation so this incident is indeed your fault. As a parent yourself, what possessed you to attempt to strike at another person's child?" Said Shuri as she hammered Barakiel with her words. Barakiel, in turn answered

"B… But I was only trying to protect our daughter from danger! Despite being a child, his aura and power are almost equivalent to my own and I thought that he had malicious intentions towards Akeno."

Shuri looked at him with doubt clearly displayed on her face.

"Are you referring to that sweet child who stood in between you and his own mother to protect you from her wrath? Furthermore, suppose you were right and he turns out to have been evil, did you not think of the consequences should you had engaged in battle with him? Akeno would have been caught in the crossfire of your fight. Aren't you supposed to be a leader of your faction? Please think before you act!"

Barakiel was shocked at her answer because he knew she was right. Had he been more rational and calmer, he could have handled the situation a lot better. Yet, he let his emotions get the better of him and acted rashly. His mood took a big dive as he looked down on the floor. Shuri, seeing that, took his hand and smiled at him saying "Let us offer our sincere apologize for the incident and hope that it is enough." Barakiel nodded as they made their way towards the dragon gods.

(Great-Red and Ophis)

While Akeno's parents had their little meeting, great-red and Ophis were having a discussion of their own.

"**What were you thinking letting your power out like that? Have you forgotten that we are trying to lay low as to avoid detection by the other factions?**" yelled Great-red at Ophis. Arguing with her was the last thing he wanted at the moment but if he needs to do it in order to get his point across then so be it. They both agreed that they would keep a low profile while living in the human world in order to ensure the safety of their son; yet, here she is flaunting her power. They were truly lucky that this time it was only felt by him and Akeno's family otherwise every other faction would come here to investigate. That is a hassle that he does not want to deal with at the present moment.

Ophis explained the situation to him believing that her actions were justifiable. Great-red sighed after she finished and continued talking yet in a more relaxed manner

"**I understand what is going on now; However, you did not need to flaunt your power like that. We are very lucky that your aura was too abrupt to be felt by any factions safe for me. Did you not think of the consequences that could have arisen from your actions? We are trying to remain hidden to ensure not only Issei safety but to be able to raise him without any sort of unwanted intervention. Also, didn't you promise that you would not intervene in Issei's affairs. This is his life to…**" Ophis interrupted Great-red exclaiming

"You wouldn't understand how I felt baka-red. I followed him for the past week and saw how everyone treated our son leaving him in a depressed state everytime he came back home. Don't you dare start talking to me when you don't weren't there to…" Before she could finish that sentence, she sensed Great-red aura spike as his expression turned into one of fury directed at her no less.

"**WOULDN"T UNDERSTAND! I understand more than you know Ophis. Have you forgotten what I represent? I'm the dragon of dreams and everyday I got to see Issei's dream that was filled with nothing but pain and sadness from his encounters. It utterly devastated my heart knowing what Issei was going through and, like you, I wanted nothing more than to exterminate those vile humans for treating my son this way so don't you dare, for a moment, think I don't understand**".

This is probably the first time that Ophis was ever really afraid of great-red. Never had she seen him this serious and furious at the same time.

"**Yet, the reason I do not intervene is because not only was Issei determined to keep on trying but he also tried his best not to make us worry about him. If I intervened, not only would this be an insult to his resolve but it would make Issei feel like a failure for making us worried. This is an obstacle that he must face. Young he may be, but he is a dragon and dragons do not back down from a challenge. Also, from what you told me, he seems to have been able to make his first friend until you showed up and threatened to kill her father. It's no wonder he told you that last remark.**" Great-red noticed that Barakiel and Shuri were slowly making their way towards them and figured this was as good as time as any to try and rectify this situation. "**Alright, it seems the parents of Issei's friend are coming over. Let's see if we can resolve this situation. If worst comes to worse, I'll use my powers to wipe out their memory of their encounter with us.**"

Secretly, Great-red was hoping he would not need to utilize this last resort as it would also mean that Issei would lose his first friend, which would cause him to be hated by him and he really didn't want that. Both "couples" were now at speaking distance and Shuri decided to start off the conversion.

"Hello, my name is Shuri Himekawa, I am the mother of Akeno and wife to Barakiel. I heard of the commotion that has occurred here and I would like to offer you our sincere apologizes for how it was handled. My husband should not have raised his hand against your child. As a mother, I understand that Ophis reaction was reasonable as a child's safety is a mother's number 1 priority. I know my husband only did what he did out of concern of the safety of our daughter but I believe he could have handled it differently so I would like to make amends and offer a due apology on our behalf." Shuri bowed to show her sincerity and looked at Barakiel to do the same which he did.

"As my wife mentioned, I am truly sorry for the way I behaved and for having threatened your son. I pray that you could forgive me." Barakiel said as he also gave a slight bow hoping that this would resolve the situation since he knew that conflict would only lead to their demise against Ophis.

"**Please raise your heads." **Both of them lifted their headsas great-red continued** "I heard from Ophis the details of this incident and while I am troubled by the fact that my son was nearly hurt, I do believe that things could have been resolved more smoothly if both of them had been calm and rational so I can let things slide. In addition, I can tell that you both are genuinely sorry for the events that transpired so we will accept your apologies**"

Both of them became relieved knowing their apology was accepted while Ophis was giving a stern look as he basically indirectly called her stupid which he ignored to her ire.

"Thank you very much … um, I'm sorry but I forgot to ask your name" Shuri asked. Before answering, great-red took a moment to think about it. Should he reveal his identity to them? Should he tell the truth or bend it a bit? After careful consideration, he decided that he would give them the benefit of the doubt and give them the truth. They already met Ophis so revealing his identity won't really matter. If things go wrong, as he stated earlier, he would use his powers to modify their memories. Although he would still warn them to keep everything a secret; if not then he would have no alternative then to do what must be done to keep Issei safe.

"**I will tell you my name, but you must promise me that you will not only keep it a secret between us but also everything that happened during the earlier incident from anyone.**" He told them, giving them a serious glare showing he means business. Both were a bit confused at the statement nevertheless, as an expression of goodwill and the fact they owed them an apology, they would concede this to him. Barakiel, although a bit distraught that he would need to lie to Azazel and his friends, also agreed. He was bewildered why the dragon in front of him wanted to keep his identity a secret since nothing was more shocking than meeting Ophis and learning she has a kid. Still, they looked at each other and nodded.

"We promise you that we will keep your identities a secret from our respective families and superiors unless you give us permission. Is that alright?" Barakiel answered for the both of them.

Great red nodded showing his approval

"**Indeed it is! Very well, then allow me to introduce myself. I am the Apocalypse Dragon, the true God Emperor Dragon but you can call me Great-Red.**" He answered with his 4 wings sprouting from his back. He could have simply told them his name but he is proud of his title as any other dragon would be.

On the other hand, to say that Shuri and Barakiel were both shocked would be an understatement. They were blown away by the revelation. Even Shuri knew of Great-Red through Barakiel. Barakiel's mind was going a million miles per hour trying to understand the situation. Never, in his wildest dreams, did he ever think he would meet with the strongest existence face to face. It was unthinkable due to two reasons. One, according to Azazel, Great-Red is a dragon that swims freely across the dimensional gap and never really interacts with other worlds which is why he isn't deemed as a threat to any factions. Two, and this is probably the biggest reason, is that Great-Red should be Ophis's mortal enemy as stated by Azazel and yet here he is standing side by side with her, casually engaging in conversation and not at each other throats. In fact, if he didn't know better, they were almost acting like a couple… It was then that he was struck with a sudden realization. When he first appeared in the commotion, he could swear he heard the boy shout '_dad_' and if that's true then … "_Oh no, what have I done_" Barakiel thought to himself. If he wasn't scared before than he certainly was now, in fact, he is absolutely terrified right now. If what he thought of was correct, then that would mean that not only had he tried to harm the son of the Infinite Dragon God but also of the Apocalypse Dragon. If he earned the wrath of both dragon gods then there really is no hope for him. Just one of them can destroy the world many times over, but both combined he stuttered to even think about it. He prayed to the deceased God, something he hasn't done in centuries, for his family to be safe from harm should things turn sour.

Great-red seeing Barakiel's expression could guess what he was thinking and stated

"**From your expression, I can tell that you are worried about your earlier transgression against my son. I would be lying if I said I wasn't angry at your actions against him and if this were any other time I would certainly have eliminated you without a second thought**" Barakiel shivered at his response "**but given our current circumstances and the fact that you were only trying to protect your child, something I recently understand, I let it go. Besides, I've already accepted your apology and for Issei's sake, I would rather not cause trouble with his first friend.**"

Barakiel let out a big sigh of relief and once again bowed at great-red "Thank you very much for your kindness and forgiveness." He said. With a small wave of his hand great-red replied "**Don't mind it.**"

**_Chapter end_**

**_It's a wierd place to end but i wanted to upload you guys a chapter so here it is._**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I've been extremely busy with work and school that I barely had any time to write my chapter. I finally got a bit of a break so I decided to finally update the next chapter of my story. Hope you guys enjoy it and thank you all again for reading my story.**

**Also as a heads up, after much debate I've decided that Issei will not have the boosted gear or any gear for that matter. I will have someone else be the boosted gear user.**

**Great red speaking**

_Flashback or something thinking_

(Issei and Akeno)

While both of their respective parents were having a discussion among themselves, Akeno made her way towards Issei and marvelled at his wings.

"So those are the wings of a dragon?" she asked. Issei, confused, tilted his head a bit at her remark until he quickly realized what she meant. His 4 draconic wings were exposed and she got to see it. He became frightened at the thought that she would now back away from knowing that he wasn't human, but a monster. Although, contrary to his belief, she just smiled at him and said

"Wow, your wings are fascinating. They possess beautiful combination of crimson and black." looking at his wings. Issei, surprised asked "You're not afraid of me. I… I thought you would be scared knowing I was monster" he solemnly said to Akeno with his head down. She simply approached him and karate chopped his head and an "omf" came out from him as he rubbed his head a bit

"you're silly, why would I be afraid of my friend?" she said a bit annoyed that he thought so little of their friendship. Issei could not believe it; despite knowing what he is, she did not shy away from him and still called him his friend. He was stupefied the answer he guessed was completely off the mark. Looking at the expression of relief in his face brought a smile to her face and she decided to reveal her little secret, although seeing that issei already "met" her father he should probably know that she isn't entirely human either. She spread out her 2 fallen angel wings from her back. Issei saw them and only one thing came to mind.

"So pretty." He suddenly blurted out. Akeno cheeks blushed red at the statement he made. "R… Really?" she asked knowing this was the first time a boy complemented her and she liked it.

"Can I touch them?" he asked with sparkling eyes as he had never seen fallen angel wings before. Akeno nodded and Issei quickly began to feel them not knowing that Akeno was slightly blushing since fallen angel wings are very sensitive.

"amazing, they are so soft and fluffy in addition to being beautiful" he said speaking honestly from the heart which, again, made Akeno blush red at the compliments he gave. She then glanced at his wings and decided to also feel them. She was very curious considering that it is the first time she has ever met or even seen a dragon.

"Ufufu, your wings are big and strong yet gentle to the touch. The wings of a dragon indeed look splendid" she smiled at him when she said that which made him blush as well.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a dragon?" she asked him.

"I was just afraid that you would be scared of me knowing what I am. I guess it was unfounded. hehehe" He replied scratching the back of his head. "But seriously, thank you for accepting me as your friend. You have no idea how much that means to me." He continued looking at her straight in the eyes to show how serious he was with a big grin on his face to which Akeno again blushed a bit and replied

"N No problem, as I told you before, you are my friend and that won't change no matter what race you belong too." Issei's heart was extremely relieved when he told her that. It felt as if a huge burden was lifted off of his shoulders and he could not express how deeply thankful he is to Akeno for it. A small silence permeated after she said that, both not knowing what to say until Akeno broke the silence.

"So, do you want to continue playing? I have no idea how long our parents will keep talking to each other." she asked him and Issei nodded signaling that he agrees as they continued playing together.

Back with the parents, after a long arduous argument and many apologies being said, Shuri decided to break the ice so to say.

"How about we continue our discussion inside. I was previously making tea and I would happy if you could join us while the kids are playing together." Thinking a bit on her offer, Great-red accepted her offer and told them that he needed to talk to Ophis for a bit and then they would join them inside. Barakiel and Shuri both nodded and went inside letting the two dragon gods to talk amongst themselves.

Great-red could tell that Ophis was still irritated over the previous events that transpired so he wanted to try and calm her down as much as possible.

"**Look, the Fallen Angel Barakiel already apologized for the earlier incident against Issei so how about you lay it to rest, forgive them, and take this chance to get to know them better.**" He asked her trying his best to reason with her. Ophis, in response, glared at him angrily replying

"How do you expect me to forgive him after he nearly harmed our son"

Seeing how stubborn she was, Great-red decided to try a different approach.

"**huh, OK you know what, fine!**" he said as Ophis raised her eye brow a bit trying to understand what he meant. He just continued on "**You can do whatever you want. If you really can't forgive them for their actions then go ahead and do what ever you feel is right, I will not stop you if you wish to get rid of them or, as I previously mentioned, we can erase their memories and put all of this behind us. However, look over there.**" She paused as he pointed towards Issei. He waited until Ophis turned around and looked towards their son and then continued

"**Know if you do this, then it will take away the small amount of happiness that Issei managed to earn during his stay here. Do you have the heart to this? Like I said, I will adhere to any choice you make**" Great red finished letting Ophis to slowly take in his words. At first, Ophis, still infuriated was hell bent on dealing with the fallen angel. Circumstances or not, no one gets away with threatening the life of her son. That was the promise she made to herself when she left the dimensional gap. Nevertheless, after gazing at her son having fun with Akeno, she slowly began to calm down, letting Great red's words sink in. Would she be able to do this knowing the effect it would have on Issei? As she was debating with herself, she suddenly remembered something Issei told her back when he was defending Barakiel "_please don't do this, if you do I… I… I will hate you._" The mere thought of Issei hating her sent her emotions spiraling out of control. "_I can't let what that insolent being almost did to my little Issei go unpunished but I don't want Issei to resent me. What do I do?_", she thought to herself. Never in her life had she ever encountered such troubles since as the Uroboros dragon god, no sane being ever messed with her but now it seems the enemy is herself. Internally, she is stuck between two sides. Should she follow through with her promise or discard it for Issei.

How ironic that she threatened great-red to put Issei's well being and happiness above all else including his crazy antics, and yet, here he was thinking only about Issei happiness while she is placing her pride above Issei. What cruel irony. In the end she exhaled a sigh of defeat looking back at great-red.

"You are right. I still don't think I can forgive him for what he has done but for 'our' sons happiness, I will at least try to get along with them."

At this, Great-red gave out a cheeky grin although decided not to tease her about it since he knew how hard it was for her to admit that he was right.

"**very well! Let's not keep them waiting any longer then**?" he said as he dragged her inside the shrine where they saw Shuri preparing the table with tea and a few refreshments. When Shuri saw them walk in, she graced them with a smile and kindly invited them to come and join them.

"Please make yourself at home! I am almost done preparing tea and there are a few cupcakes on the table. You are welcome to take some if you'd like!". At the mention of sweets, Ophis immediately bolted towards the table in the blink of an eye and before anyone even noticed she was already munching on one. It took everything in Great Red's willpower to not just let go and laugh at the scene before him "_Well, I guess that's one way to calm her down_" he thought to himself as he took a seat next to her. He wouldn't admit it to her but he found her action to be extremely cute

"**I didn't know you liked sweets that much**." Teased great-red now sporting a grin.

Ophis blushed a bit which she tried to quickly hide as she answered "Oh shut up, baka-red!"

Great red, amused with her reaction sported a small giggle which Ophis noticed but before she could reprimand him, Shuri came back with freshly prepared mint tea and began to serve both of them. In addition, she brought out some sake for her husband and for her guests in case they wanted some as well as she is not familiar with the type of drinks dragons would want.

Ophis, being ticked off by Great-red's behaviour, decided to sit at the other end of the table. Shuri let out a small giggle seeing her reaction remembering that she used to do the same thing whenever her husband did something, she didn't like but it was often to tease him as his expressions were priceless. Plus, she got to administer her own "punishment" whenever Barakiel tried to make up with her. She then decided to join her and try to get to know her better. Seeing that Ophis was not interested in starting a conversation, she would have to break the ice between them.

"I take it, that is how he usually behaves?" she asked curiously. Ophis turned around, still annoyed by Great-red and answered

"Unfortunately." Seeing that she managed to start a conversation, Shuri poured tea for both them until Ophis looked at the other bottle next to the tea and got curious what it was.

"What drink is that" as she pointed towards the bottle near the tea. Shuri took the bottle and answered "This is sake that my husband drinks. He usually drinks it whenever we have guests or to sometimes help alleviate his mood whenever he gets depressed or agitated." Ophis, being a bit naïve, took that statement quite literally and decided to try some since she was not in a very good mood at the present moment.

After a few drinks of sake, she literally started pouring out her pent-up feelings about Great-red

"The dimensional gap was my home long before he ever knew it existed and yet he simply waltzes in and starts living there. He is extremely noisy performing all his crazy maneuvers and when I told to get of my house, he just shrugs me off saying that there is enough space for both us. The nerve of him. What an annoying, obnoxious, noisy, loathsome…"

As Ophis kept slinging insult after insult about Great-red letting everything out in the open, Shuri found her reactions to be absolutely adorable. It seems even a dragon god has worries just like any other living being.

"Even worst, it seems my little Issei is slowly being corrupted by him. I saw him teach him do some of his annoying stunts back home. I cannot allow Issei to end up like that idiot." Ophis exclaimed.

"Ufufu, in that case, why don't you punish him a bit. Isn't is a wife's duty to discipline her husband whenever he does something stupid. Give him a good smack in the head to let him know how you feel." Answered Shuri, letting a small grin appear on her face.

"You know what, you are right, I'm going to give him a peace of mind" stated Ophis. You could tell that she was a bit drunk as she just casually ignored the fact that she was called Great-reds wife, something that would have made her enraged a few months ago. Shuri simply giggled a bit as she followed Ophis towards their husbands.

"How's it like living in the dimensional gap?" asked Barakiel as he took a sip of his sake.

"**It's an amazing place that grants me the freedom to do whatever I please**" answered great-red as he remembered swimming unhindered throughout the dimensional gap while performing as many awesome moves he could think off. "_**Ah, those were the days**_".

"Ohh, anything interest happen?" questioned Barakiel.

Great red pondered on the thought "**hmm, other than Ophis constantly bugging me to get out of the dimensional gap I don't think… wait I do remember one thing.**"

Flashback

_In the dimensional gap, a 20-meter-tall purple dragon came up to great red_

"_Great-red, my name is Tannin the Blaze Meteor Dragon. I have recently been appointed the title of dragon king and I challenge you to a duel." Said dragon, revealed to be Tannin, after his declaration immediately started to assault Great-red with his renowned flame that took the shape of a meteor easily bigger than Tannin. The attack hit Great-red causing an explosion. However, out of that attack came Great-red virtually unscathed as he continued to fly across the dimensional gap seemingly having brushed aside Tannin's attack. To say that Tannin was shocked would be an understatement. He knew that Great-red was the strongest dragon in existence which is why he wanted to test his power against him, to see his limits. Yet, he could not believe that his full power couldn't even make Great-red notice him, let alone scratch him. "What a monster of unparalleled strength"_

_Completely ignorant of Tannin's inner turmoil, only one thing was going on in Great-red's mind. "hmm, did I hit something… doesn't matter, should I try a back roll this time?" he was pondering what crazy stunt to perform next._

_Flashback end_

"**Not sure if I bumped into something but I do not believe anything of value has occurred to me. Although that was the past and now** **my actions are aligned with a single goal, and that is to give my son Issei the best life possible**." Great red gave a genuine smile while thinking of his son. Barakiel, understanding what he meant responded with a smile of his own. "I understand. My family is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I will do anything to ensure their happiness" looking at Shuri, who was busy making conversation with Ophis.

"Although sometimes I fear that my strength will not be enough to protect them from harm." He said as his face showed a gloomy expression

Raising his brow, "**From what I can tell, you have doing a good job so far. Why doubt that now?**" questioned Great-red.

"It's not that simple! Throughout my life, I have made many enemies who would go to great lengths to harm me if given the chance. If, by some chance, they found out about my family, I dread to think of the horrors they would do to them. My greatest fear is that one day, I am unable to protect them and they pay the price for my mistakes." Barakiel shivered at the thought.

"**If you do not believe that your strength is enough to defend them, then why not move them to your Organization Grigori, I'm sure that perverted fallen Azazel would help you since you are allies?**"

"I have considered that. However, my wife and I did not want Akeno to live her life closed off from the outside. She should be able to grow up like a normal child, making friends, going to school and I do not want to deprive her of a childhood. In addition, according to Azazel, there are traitors inside Grigori so if anything, they would be placed into even more danger. I cannot let them get caught in the crossfire so we opted to living here, in the shrine away from prying eyes." Barakiel explained to Great-red.

Great-red did understand a bit where Barakiel was coming from. The only reason him and Ophis moved to the human world was to give Issei a somewhat normal social life and they keep themselves hidden in order to not attract attention towards them since however unlikely, they did not want Issei to get hurt.

"**I see. For what it is worth, I think you are doing a great job at protecting your family. So my advice to you would be to continue doing the best you can and everything should be alright. After all, no one knows what the future may hold or what is in store for us, not even me; therefore, the future you describe might not even come to pass so don't worry to much about it.**" Barakiel was a bit taken a back by Great-reds wisdom as he recalled how Azazel once described him as which made him giggle a bit.

"hehe, you really are a lot different than the simple minded dragon Azazel described you to be" he said in a low voice however, with his enhanced hearing Great-red managed to pick it up. "_Oh did he now!_" he thought to himself as he flashed a bit of his power with a grin on his face with no one the wiser.

In the Grigory, Azazel was conveniently taking a nap, when all of a sudden his dream turned into one of his worst nightmares where his Vice-Governor Shemhazai as well as the other Fallen Angel leaders started destroying his laboratory and all his creation labelling them as dangerous. Then, all of a sudden, both the Seraph Gabriel and Maou Serafall appeared both wearing evil grins as they brought forth a special collection of books in front of Azazel who realized that it was his porn collection that he kept stashed away. Both activated a fire spell and quickly Azazel understood what they were gonna do

"Noooo, Gabriel, Serafall, please don't burn my treasure. I beg of you, have mercy.." It all fell on deaf ears as they set a blaze his collection

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

Azazel would continue to have these nightmares over the following week which he later dubbed "The Worst week of his entire existence" and for "safety" decided to add a variety of locks and spells to his treasure just to be very sure.

(Back to the shrine)

Great-red internally laughed at the small prank he inflicted on Azazel. "_That's what you get for calling me simple minded you punk_". Well, he was used to being called way worst names by Ophis in the past but he will be damned if he allowed someone to mock him. Barakiel noticing his absent-minded expression asked

"Is something the matter?" to which Great-red quickly replied

"**No, everything is alright. Anyways, where were we… ah yes, if it would alleviate your worries a bit, how about I make a proposition? Should danger ever befall your family, give me a call and I will help you protect them." To say that Barakiel was shocked would be an understatement. Did the strongest dragon just offer to protect his family?**"

"W Why would y you" studerred Barakiel before Great red raised his hand thereby interrupting Barakiel question as he continued

"**I know what you were going to ask and to tell you the truth, the primary and foremost reason I am doing this is for my son. Issei has befriended your daughter and if anything were to happen to you all, my son would be devastated and that is something that both Ophis and I would want to avoid at any cost.**"

Barakiel could not believe what he was hearing and yet he could only have the briefest of hope that it was true. The Apocalypse dragon was implying that he would help protecting his family. Even if it is in the interest of his son, which Barakiel could understand his reasoning as he would do the same for his daughter, it would pretty much be the best protection his family would ever get. He could not even begin to describe how truly happy and grateful he was to the dragon so he did what he could and bowed deeply to him.

"I am eternally grateful for this. Truly, I would be in your debt if you were to help me protect my family." Responded Barakiel. Great red just motioned him to raise his head and answered

"**Do not worry about it. Besides all th.**."

All of a sudden, someone hit him in the back of the head, thus ruining the current atmosphere, to which he around and saw that Ophis performed the act.

"**HEY, what the hell was that for**" he asked while rubbing the back of his head. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that Ophis cheeks were flushed and she was swaying a bit meaning only one thing. "_Oh shit, is she drunk_? _I did not know it was even possible for a dragon god to get drunk_" he thought to himself before Ophis interrupted his thoughts

"That was for mocking me earlier and for all the crazy stuff you put me through." She then proceeded to hit him again.

"**HEEEY, why did you hit me again!**" demanded Great red.

"Because I felt like it! hehehe" she answered, now sporting a big grin on her face. Drunk or not, she felt great being able to smack him around. Great-red could tell she was actually happy. And he would probably never admit it but he found her expression to be incredibly cute as for the first time, he saw her as a beautiful woman.

Barakiel who saw their little episode tried to restrain his laughter but eventually could not hold it back any longer.

"hahahahaha, you better get used to this my friend. Unfortunately, that is one of the, shall we say, inconvenience of having a wife." He exclaimed

"Ara, did you just say something I cannot ignore my dear husband? It seems you are in need of a little punishment after this." Shuri exclaimed as she licked her lips in anticipation of her hidden activities with her husband. Barakiel knowing what she meant by "punishment" blushed a bit as he was looking forward to it. His wife is a very big sadist while he is a masochist so in a way you could say they are indeed a perfect match.

"Ehh… Yes. I mean may.. uhh" Barakiel could not think of anything as his mind went blank but, on the side, he could hear Great-red laughing at him this time around. Ophis just stared at her "husband"

"hmm, Shuri has the right idea."

"**Oh, what is this? You became friends already I see. That was fast considering it is you we are talking about?**"

"Well, at least, she is a million times more tolerable than you" Ophis exclaimed as she pointed towards him.

Great-red clutched his chest in mock pain "**Oh, you wound me Ophis.**" He joked. Ophis decided to go along with it and responded

"Well, it's about you felt pain for all that you have put me through."

Everyone just laughed as they were all having a good time. Even Ophis had to admit to herself that she was enjoying the time spend with them despite the previous mishap. And so, they continued on talking to one another.

**Chapter end.**

**To all my readers, as I've decided that issei will not have the boosted gear, his abilities will be of his own making. I have a few ideas already but I would like to turn to your creativity for help.**

**If you guys have any creative ideas on what abilities you would like to see Issei possess, post it in the review or message me with a brief description of what the ability is and does and who knows I may just integrate it in the story.**

**As he possesses both powers of Great red and Ophis, his potential is literally limitless so go ahead and let loose your ideas on me. You could even suggest some trump cards he may have but if possible, do not make the ability way to OP.**

**Here's one of my ideas for his abilities by the time we get to cannon time**

**Complete mastery of fire and its properties. He will be able to utilise different flames such as holy fire, purgatory fire, decaying fire or even freezing flame. I find this ability to be very versatile and thought since he is a dragon, mastery over fire is a must. Still in progress though**

**Anyways, if you guys have any ideas. Please let me know as I appreciate any advice.**

**See you next time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, first of all I would like to apologize to all my readers for the late updates especially to those who have been following my story. I have been extremely busy with work and school and barely had time to work on my story. I managed to put up a chapter and I thank you all for waiting patiently. **

**I will try my hardest to update chapters at least every two weeks since I do not want to keep you guys waiting for too long. Anyways on with the story.**

A certain distance away, outside the shrine, the two children were playing random games that they were able to think of on the spot. At the moment that game happens to be hide and seek. Currently Issei was seeking and Akeno was hiding.

"18 19 20. Ready or not, here I come"

The games continued into a circle of distractions and jovial complaints as the two solidified their friendship. Over time, they had learned of each other's dislikes and likes, slowly building foundations of friendship over their simple talk. Both of them seemed to go on for hours, not even seeming a bit tired due to how much fun they were having in the company of one another.

Eventually, when both started to get exhausted, mostly Akeno due to her human physiology, they decided to take a break while talking about their individual experiences. Issei talked about his experience in the dimensional gap and even the small amount of training he did, spanning from learning to use his wings and even breathing fire.

"I say breathing fire, but it's just a small spark compared to my parents whose breath could engulf anything" brooded Issei.

"Well, at least it is a start. My father told me he was going to train me to use my holy lightning powers when he feels I'm ready. Other than that, I've helped my mother cleaning around the shrine and attended school." Akeno responded.

"Is it fun going to school?" asked Issei curiously.

Akeno thought about it before answering "It's ok. I spend the day playing games with other kids. Sometimes they take us out to different place like the amusement park or even the zoo." Akeno continued to talk about all the different things she did in school to which Issei listened very intently.

"Did you make many friends!" he asked. Although at the mention of friends, he became a bit depressed recalling how every kid he met shunned him and wanted nothing to do with him. Akeno, not noticing his inner turmoil simply answered his query.

"I guess I did. Everyone was really nice to me and we all played together so I guess it does make us friends but" she stopped to look at Issei and smiled

"I think you would be my best friend" she said as Issei became a bit flustered at the mention of it.

"really.. but why… we've only recently met and you spent a lot more time with them then me" he asked clearly not understanding why she would consider someone she just recently met as her best friend.

"I guess it's because, with you, I can show you who I really am. My parents always told me that I could not reveal who I am to others even though I do not understand why. Anyways, with you I don't need to hide my wings and can just be myself."

"thank you" he answered as they continued enjoying their day.

Eventually, evening came and it was time to return home. Ophis and Great-red came out to get Issei and head home. Barakiel and Shuri followed them to say farewell and to get their own daughter.

"Issei, it's time to go!" Ophis called out to her son.

"aww, already! Can't we stay for a bit more?" Issei pleaded with his mom but she would not relent.

"Unfortunately not, Issei. It is getting very late so it is time to return home." Issei started pouting at his mom's answer to which everyone thought he looked absolutely adorable.

Shuri stepped in "Ufufu, You know you can come by anytime you want. We would be pleased to have you here and I'm sure Akeno would love to spend more time with you." She told Issei giving both him and Akeno a wink to which they both blushed.

Barakiel also added "Yes, as my wife mentioned, we would be honored if you would come back. Despite, starting off on the wrong foot, we had a great time today and we hope you did as well." Great-red followed by Ophis nodded accepting what he said

"**Indeed, although at first I did not know what would happen, we had a marvelous time with you both and we hope to get along very well**" Great-red said with a smile on his face and he shook Barakiel's hand.

"at least, they offer better company than you" mocked Ophis to which everyone started giggling at her joke. Before Great-red could defend himself, Issei interrupted

"YES, this is so awesome. Thank you." Issei started jumping up and down clearly illustrating how happy he was that his time with his first friend is not over. Both parents couldn't help but giggle at Issei antics making him look absolutely adorable.

After calming down he went over to akeno to say his farewell

"It looks like I have to go. I had an amazing time with you today, Akeno and I hope we can spend more time together."

"Yes, I also had an amazing time with you and I hope you come visit soon." She responded as she gave him a hug which he reciprocated. After separating, they all bid each other good night as Ophis, Great-red and Issei returned home to rest.

After they left, Shuri looked towards her daughter with a small grin

"Oh my, it seems somebody has caught your fancy, Akeno?" giving her a small wink to which Akeno started blushing

"MOM, its not like that, we are just friends" she shouted although a small part of her did not seem to agree with that thought. Both Shuri and Barakiel just laughed at their daughter's reaction as they too went back into their home as the curtain fell on yet another day.

(Two, Years Later)

Two years have gone by since then and their friendship became stronger than ever. In fact, they both developed a crush towards one another yet were oblivious of each others feelings; yet, they were perfectly happy spending time with one another as much as possible. Their parents, however, were well aware of the feelings shared between them and were very happy for them. Ophis and Great-red could see the joy in Issei's expression every time he spent time with Akeno. They wished for nothing for than Issei's happiness and are ecstatic to see him growing up so well. The same could be said for Barakiel and Shuri. They were absolutely overjoyed that she found someone she could be herself with and not hide her identity. They could see the smile she gives him as well the few blushes she exudes whenever he complements her over anything. Both parents could tell that each of them had a crush over the other and it was only a matter of time before they got together.

The biggest change that occurred during this timeframe was that Ophis and Great-red have finally cemented their relationship as mates. Throughout the years, Great-red has seen so many new sides of Ophis that he never even dreamed even existed and yet little by little, he started to fall in love with her. Ophis, on the other hand, saw that there is more to the Apocalypse Dragon than she had thought. Seeing him taking things seriously with Issei, she slowly started gaining respect for the dragon and eventually stopped calling him an idiot. Eventually those feelings of respect grew into feelings of love. One day, Great-Red gathered the courage and admitted his feelings for Ophis and was extremely surprised when she reciprocated them which marked the beginning of their relationship as mates. Of course, to Issei being so young, nothing really has changed since they were still his mother and father and didn't see any problems with it. Both of them found it hilarious when Shuri and Barakiel found out that they weren't "married" despite having a child. Nevertheless, that did not stop Shuri from suggesting that they hold a wedding for their union even if it is just amongst themselves. Both dragons tried to argue with her that becoming mates is different than humans and there is no need for any ceremony. But, after her never-ending perseverance, they finally succumbed to her decision and decided to hold a small ceremony at the shrine amongst themselves with Akeno being the flower girl while Issei brought their rings. In the end, it was a special day and they thanked Shuri for organising it which she was very happy to do for her friends.

Back to the present day, Issei and Akeno were taking a trip to the zoo alongside Barakiel and Shuri to enjoy their day before they head back to the shrine where both families will have supper together. As they were looking around, Akeno told Issei

"It's a shame your parents could not join us."

Issei smiled at her and replied "Yeah, however that could not be helped. You remember what happened last time we all came together". The last time, they all visited the zoo, the moment both dragon-gods entered the area, all animals immediately went and hid in their habitats. No one understood what had happened but the animals were incredibly frightened by the very presence of both dragons which caused their flight instincts to pick up and immediately retreated in their homes. He could still recall the funny outburst his dad had.

Flashback

_In front of the Lion's den, his dad tried to get the lions to come out of hiding_

"_You are supposed to be the king of the jungle yet you are all acting like a bunch of scardy cats. Get the hell out of there and show some of that lion's pride you pussy"_

_In the background, all you could hear was the lions frightened whimpers as Great-red kept insulting every animal to come out. Nonetheless, Issei was very sad he could not see any animals and his parents were sad that they were the cause of it. They told him that he should go another time with Akeno and her family without them so he could have a fun time._

_End of flashback_

As Issei was going down memory lanes, Akeno poked him interrupting his thoughts and bringing him back to reality.

"Let's go pet the baby bunnies in the pen, they are absolutely adorable." Without waiting for his approval, Akeno bolted towards the bunny pen which made Issei laugh at how excited she was. Looking back, he saw that even her parents were giggling at their daughter's excitement taking pictures to commemorate the day. They even took pictures of Issei in order to send them to his parents as they could be here to enjoy the day with them. Making his way towards her, he saw her petting a few baby bunnies sporting a beautiful smile which caused him to blush a bit. When he tried to pet the bunnies however, he saw them jerk away from him as if frightened by his touch. Although saddened from this, he understood that from their perspective, he cannot be seen as anything else but a monster which is something, he cannot change no matter what. Akeno, seeing his grief decided to try and help alleviate the issue. She suddenly grabbed his hand, greatly surprising Issei who turned to face her as if asking what's going on, she simply nodded still wearing that comforting smile on her face as she slowly brought his hand towards the baby bunny she was petting. Seeing the same reaction occur, she gently caressed the bunnies head trying to calm it down.

"Don't worry, he isn't going to hurt you. Issei is a gentle guy and would not do anything to harm you. There, there." Seeing the bunny calming down, she slowly brought it towards his palm. Issei was very nervous, although appreciative of what Akeno was doing, thought that it would be a useless endeavor. The bunny started sniffing the palm of Issei hand as if trying to judge whether or not it was safe. Eventually, to Issei's surprise, the bunny made his way towards Issei's hand. Issei was honestly blown away by what happened as he ever so gently petted the bunny hoping not to scare it away.

"There you see, they just needed to see that you are a gentle person and they would no longer be afraid." Akeno told him. Issei looked towards her with the brightest smile she had ever seen him possess

"Thank you so much Akeno." He told her as she also gave him a smile. As they were gazing at one another, they heard some clicking sounds in the background

CLICK… CLICK … CLICK. They both turned around to see what was going on only to see Shuri and Barakiel with smirks on their faces taking pictures of them.

"Ara ara, it seems we interrupted our daughters moment with Issei. Please, don't mind us and keep going" Shuri told them, still keeping her smirk while winking at Akeno. Both Issei and Akeno cheeks quickly turned crimson as Akeno shouted

"MOM!"

Both parents just laughed at their daughter's reaction as they continued visiting all the different animals in the zoo. It was especially funny when Issei started a random stare down with the Komodo dragon which Barakiel took pictures of to send to his parents. When Akeno asked him why he was doing it, he answered that he didn't really know why but felt that he would somehow lose if he was the first to look away. Eventually, their visit came to an end and it was time to go back to the shrine. Overall, Issei had a wonderful time which was shared by Akeno and her family and he could not wait to tell his parent's about it. Making their way towards the shrine, they met up with Great-red and Ophis, who surprisingly was dressed up for the occasion wearing a beautiful black dress which made her look absolutely stunning, that Barakiel could not help but stare at her for a moment which caused him to get a slap on the back of the head by his wife who whispered in his ear "I'll punish you later ufufu" causing him a shiver down his spine in both fear and excitement. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at their destination. Shuri quickly began preparations for dinner with Barakiel helping her out. Seeing that it was going to take time before supper was ready, Ophis called out to the kids.

"Issei, why don't you take Akeno outside to play while we prepare dinner. Just be sure to be back in around 1 hour. Dinner should be ready by then".

"Ok mom, where would you like to go Akeno?" Issei asked her

"hmm, how about we go to the park, it has been a while since we went there" she answered him. Issei nodded and they went on their way.

Arriving at the park, they noticed that they were the only ones there which is normal considering that no parents would let their kids out so late into the evening but all this meant is that they had the entire playground for themselves. As they were playing, they started making idle conversation to pass the time.

"I aced my last quiz in Japanese. My parents were so happy that they posted it on our fridge. It's a bit embarrassing how they overexaggerate almost everything I do." She told him as she scratched the back of her head.

"Wow, you are as smart as you are pretty" he said so innocently not realizing the atomic blush it caused Akeno who staggered in her response

"T Thanks Issei." Recomposing herself, she continued "How about you, has anything interesting happen?"

"Not really. My dad has been making me work out to enhance my physical strength even though I wanted to learn new skills" his tone turned into pouting as he continued "BUT dad said that I am still way too young and my body is still too weak to be able to withstand the power sleeping within me. IT's not fair, I wanted to be able to do cool moves that my parents can do" he started waving his hands everything shoeing how frustrated he was but all that did was make him look absolutely adorable to Akeno who simply giggled.

"Ara, your reaction is absolutely adorable ~Issei-kun~" emphasizing his name as she gave him a wink causing his to blush this time but still manage to continue the conversation

"Also, I did ask my parents if they would allow me to attend school so I could be able to experience what you do but they are still relunctant for me to go."

"I think I can understand the reason they do not want you to go. They are scared that you will re-experience what happened in the past and they do not want you to feel hurt due to their actions" Akeno stated as Issei remembered the past where everyone treated him like a plague wanting nothing more to do with him which did make him feel extremely sad. That is not something he wants to experience ever again and yet… He looked towards Akeno and smiled at her

"I'm very grateful to them for thinking about my well being, but I am a dragon and I must keep moving forward. I cannot let my past define my future so I will face any obstacle head on and besides… I have you as my best friend which makes me very happy so even if I cannot make any other friends or they avoid me, I am content with what I have" he told her with absolute certainty. Once again causing Akeno's cheeks to turn crimson.

All of a sudden, before she could properly answer him, Issei's instincts suddenly warned him of danger as the sky suddenly turned purple and all presence of any humans apart from Akeno were gone. A barrier has been erected around them and he knew this could not be anything good.

"What is going on?" Akeno asked worriedly.

"Akeno, get behind me and stay close to me". Akeno, understanding the severity of the situation, simply nodded and positioned herself behind him although was still a bit frighted by the situation which Issei could not blame her for as he too, was a bit scared.

Then, from all around them, multiple people came out from the bushes and began surrounding both of them. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they were responsible for trapping them in this barrier. Issei was trying his best to remain calm and analyse the present situation at hand. He tried to sense who these beings were as they did not feel like humans but his question was answered when from their back spawned bat-like scaly wings and this helped Issei determine which species they were apart of.

They were Devils.

**We have finally gotten to the first milestone of our story. I'm pretty sure you guys already know who these devils are.**

**Any review is appreciated and I will see you guys in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter and I gotta say I'm incredibly surprised how I managed to write over 9000 words in a single chapter in 3 weeks. Longest chapter I've ever written up to date. I was going to divide the chapter in 2 but you guys deserve a big one for sticking with my story. I have to say, I admire the many author who are able to spew out chapters of over 10 and even 20k words. I am baffled by how they are capable to do so while balancing work and family with this. HOLY SHIT. **

**Once again, I thank everyone for reading my story and seeing how you all like brings me much joy. Also, this will be my first time writing a battle scene so forgive me if it seems bad. As usual reviews are always welcomed and like I asked in a previous chapter, if any of you have any thoughts on abilities Issei should have, let me know and give me a brief description of it either through review or pm me and it might see the light of day. Be as creative as you wish to be. Anyways on with the chapter.**

Despite the desperate situation, Issei was trying to find some way to help them escape this predicament they were in. With a bit of luck, he should be able to force his way out. Despite being a child himself and not having much training, he was the son of two dragon gods therefore possesses a great deal of strength rivalling even high-class devils according to his parents. However, this was only possible if he were by himself. Unlike him, Akeno was not taught much about her dormant powers yet by her parents and thus was not strong enough to deal with these enemies. At best, she might be able to deal fatal damage to any 2 winged devil due to their weakness to her holy lightning however her power does not currently possess the strength to deal with multiple enemies. Even worst was that he could see many 4 winged devils as well a few 6 winged devils which does not bode well for them. As he was trying to formulate any plan of escape, one of the devils made his way towards them. His back displayed 8 wings which would most likely make him the leader of this group of misfits.

"Greetings to you spawn of Ophis, my name is Valper paimon, pleasure to make your acquaintance." With a graceful bow the leader of the devils, now known as Valper Paimon, introduced himself to Issei. This only served to cause even greater unrest to Issei

"_How do they know who I am?_" was the thought currently going through his mind. It was less the fact that they knew his name but rather that they knew that Ophis was his mother. As far as he knows, his parents did everything in their power to ensure that his existence was kept a secret from everyone. The only people that know of him are Akeno and her family but other than them, it should have been impossible for anyone else, much less beings from the supernatural world to know of his identity. He became very frightened not only for his safety but also for Akeno's. He tried to contact his parents via magic as he was taught once but, no matter what, he was not able to connect through. Even Akeno tried using her phone but to no avail. Valper seeing what they were doing interjected

"I'm afraid that your efforts are futile! The barrier surrounding us will prevent any form of communication with the outside world. We cannot let that mother of yours intervene with our plans now can we. Now, I will offer this only once, surrender quietly and come with us! You are our priority target and I would rather like to take in one-piece boy."

"What is it that you want?" he tried asking them to buy as much time as he could.

"It is none of your business boy but, let's just say that the Ouroboros dragon owes us something and we have come to collect it, with a little bit of help from you. So, last chance, surrender now or we will take you by force." Issei understood that his indirect indication that they wanted to use him to get what they wanted from his mother which angered him greatly.

"I'll take your silent treatment as a no. Not very smart of you, but then again what can you expect from a little brat." He then begun to issue orders to his subordinates "Men, please teach our junior here the error of his ways and get rid of the fallen angel scum behind him." As the devils finished surrounding them, Issei was evaluating his options.

Issei really wanted to change into his dragon form as it would greatly increase his chances of winning, but unfortunately could not do so for 2 reasons. One, his transformation, unlike his parents, requires time and concentration to perform which will leave him vulnerable for the devils to dispatch him and although his body is naturally tough thanks to being a dragon, he could not take the risk. The second reason being Akeno's safety. When he enters his dragon form, a massive shockwave of power erupts from his being which would most certainly hurt, if not outright kill her, due to their proximity. Thus, he resolved himself to fight without entering his strongest state, however it does not mean he is entirely helpless. With a bit of training, his mother and father taught him how to transform parts of his body into a dragon and this, he could do instantaneously after a lot of practice. His form slowly began to shift as his arms grew dark crimson scales and turned into claws, his legs went through the same metamorphosis and, from his back, spawned two large dragon wings. Finally, his eyes turned into slits with his body leaking aura all around him signaling that he was ready for battle. Normally, he would also grow a tail, however due to a small mishap with his father, he seldom wishes to bring it out. During one of his physical training sessions with Great-red, his father took things a bit to far when Issei dodged his strike only to grab his tail and literally bash him from side to side thus, accidently, giving Issei a mental trauma regarding the use of his tail. Although this did prompt Ophis to give Great-red the biggest beat-down of his life he ever experienced. Anyways, although the chances of something like that occurring here is very small, he did not want to risk it. The more limbs he has to worry about, the less effective he will be able to concentrate in battle. A few of the devils, mainly the weaker one, were a bit frightened by the sight but reminded themselves that they were still dealing with a child.

One overeager devil wanted to get this over with and charged towards Issei with a sword in hand. Before his superior could warn him, Issei intercepted him with a burst of speed unheard of for a 7-year-old child and sent a haymaker towards the devil's stomach, breaking his ribs and causing him to spurt blood and spit as he was sent flying backwards, landing on another unfortunate devil and losing consciousness. Many were surprised by the power displayed by Issei and became hesitant to attack after that.

"You fools, even if he is a child, do not forget that he is the spawn of a dragon god." Valper stated. He then began to issue orders to everyone.

"Make sure not to attack him individually. As you've seen, he is still very strong despite being a child. The low-class devils should focus on supporting them whenever you can We must not fail this mission! UNDERSTOOD."

"YES SIR" a collective shout was heard and that was the signal for the start of the battle as two devils went to flank Issei. One came from his left and the other from the right. Under normal circumstances, a battle of this magnitude would be impossible for Issei, however he possessed one advantage over his adversaries and that is his naturel born instincts as a dragon. His father and mother had always told him to rely on his instincts in battle because it is what makes dragons truly fearsome to deal with. They have never lied to him to this day so he will not start now considering he is literally fighting for his life. Letting his instincts guide him, he dodged the first incoming attack by shifting to the side and using the momentum spun around to deliver a roundhouse kick to the devil's face which instantaneously knocked him unconscious. He then unleashed a fire breath towards the other devil reducing him to ash. Seeing this, several devils began shooting demonic projectiles trying to defeat him using long range attacks; however, Issei used his wings to shield him as the projectiles hit him leaving barely any scratches.

While Issei was focused on defending from the long-range assault, another devil tried to use this to his advantage to blind side him and attack him only to be hit by a lightning bolt, stunning him, curtesy of Akeno. This gave enough time for Issei to recognize the situation and immediately punched him blasting him a far distance away. He looked over to Akeno to thank her.

"Thanks for the save, Akeno" he smiled to her

"Anytime Issei" she replied as she smiled back to him as both refocused on their enemies.

Valper was frustrated that this was taking way longer than it should have as he barked even more orders

"What the hell are you all doing? Have you all forgotten that dragons are highly resistant to magic so use them only to provide support while melee attackers get into position. I do not want to see anymore screw or I will personally deal with any incompetents. AND SOMEONE get rid of that disgusting fallen angel". The battle resumed as the devil followed their orders. Although Valper was an evil bastard, you could tell he was an experienced commander who was used to battle. The first wave of devils started charging at both of them. Issei placed himself in front of Akeno to protect her while she will try to provide as much support as she could with her holy powers. A devil takes flight to attack him from above as he dives towards him while another stronger devil, simultaneously attacks him with a burst of speed from the side thrusting a demonic empowered fist towards Issei. Surprised by the speed displayed, Issei had no choice but to brace himself and cross his arms taking the empowered strike with his body making him slide a few feet away from his original position showing how strong the strike was. Another devil shot a demonic beam towards Issei hoping to distract him from his ally assault but the attack was intercepted by Akeno's holy lighting. With the beam dealt with, Issei was able to quickly shift his focus to the incoming assault from above. Using his wings as a barrier, he was able to deflect the incoming attack to his side causing an opening in the devil's defence and striking him to the ground. While Issei was preoccupied, a few devils tried to bypass Issei in order to strike Akeno but even though her lighting was not strong, it was enough to delay them while Issei, having immerged from the assault unscathed, finished them off with either his fire or his physical strength.

Multiple attackers soon launched themselves towards him. The first swung in a wide arc towards Issei right section, causing Issei to dodge to his left where the other one was lying in wait and quickly thrust his blade towards Issei's chest but in a remarkable display of acrobatics, was able to leap over him and, this time, flying into the air on his dragon wings came sailing down crashing the devil into the ground causing a small crater to appear underneath him. All of a sudden, his instincts warned him of impeding danger as he jumped from his spot in time to dodge a 6 winged-devil who almost managed to cleave him in half. While in the air, he launched his breath killing a few supporters while managing to critically injure the 6 winged-devil. He landed on the ground only to find himself bombarded with more projectiles causing him to focus on defense. Suddenly, in the brief opening caused by the devils, Valper quickly attacked Issei from his blind spot which separated him from Akeno. Not even his instincts were fast enough to warn him in time as he landed a few feet away with his side bleeding a bit. Valper smirked and taunted Issei

"Although you possess the power of a dragon-god, it is useless if you do not know how to utilize it in combat so be a good boy and submit already and you will not get hurt… much". He laughed a bit while multiple 4-winged devils went forth to continue the assault on Issei, not allowing him even a moment to breath. At that moment, he heard Akeno shriek, quickly turning his attention to her.

'_damn it_' he silently cursed himself, for not realizing that he had been separated from Akeno which was most likely Valper's plan considering the big grin on his face. His worst fear is coming true. Without him bearing the brunt of the assaults, Akeno became vulnerable. She is simply not strong enough to deal with many enemies by herself. Her lighting might make the lesser devils worry but the stronger ones would barely feel a thing as shown by Valper moments ago. Taking his shot, a 2 winged-devil shot a projectile towards her which luckily missed, hitting just in front of her but still caused her to fall backwards which caused the shriek he heard before. Seeing her fall, the devil quickly drew his sword and charged towards her. Fortunately, she was able to react in time and gather her lighting and shot the devil who could not dodge due to his charge and was hit point blank and reduced to ash. No sooner did he start breathing a sigh of relief that she was able to deal with the enemy, panic took hold of his heart as, to his despair, he noticed another devil attacking from Akeno's blind spot with a sword in hand ready to decapitate her head. Even worse, he still had to deal with multiple enemies coming towards him. He had to find a way to quickly get rid of them in order to be able to save Akeno. One of the assailants shot several projectiles towards him as the other two rushed him aiming to take him down. Normally, he would simply dodge them but since he was pressed for time, he decided to try something else. When the shots were about, he hit him, he used his wings to parry and redirect the shots back towards one of the attackers. It worked like a charm as the attacker that got hit was killed and it also destabilized the other one that was charging him. He quickly took action as Issei took the devils arm and swung him over his shoulder towards the ranged attacker stunning both of them for a moment but that was all he really wanted.

Using his momentum, he gained from his movement, he launched himself towards Akeno praying that he would make it in time, however his naturel instincts could tell of the inevitable conclusion he tried so very hard to deny. He knew that he wasn't going to make it to her in time. Everything starting appearing in slow-motion as his mind tried to come up with any ideas to save Akeno

'_what do I do… what do I do… something, ANYTHING or Akeno-chan will __**die**_'

Despair was setting in when he saw that he wasn't going to make it.

"AKEEENNNOOOO" he screamed when all of a sudden, his body seemed to move at lightning speed and he suddenly found himself in back of Akeno, just as the devil was about to decapitate her. He did not know how he got here, but he had no time to question this miracle as he crossed his wings to shield him and Akeno from the blow. When the sword hit, it snapped into pieces not being able to pierce through his thick scales.

"How did he..." was all the devil managed to say before Issei, taking advantage of his blunder, struck a blow sending him soaring towards a tree, saving Akeno in the process who looked behind her just in time to notice him save her.

"Thank you Issei." She said

"No problem, just try to be careful of your surroundings" he said to which she nodded. Issei noticed that she was starting to breath heavily signaling how tired she was becoming, which makes sense since, since unlike him who possessed an immense amount of energy, she had never really experienced any type of extreme training, much less a fight so the situation was getting worse for them both. Eventually, even he will run out of stamina and they will become easy picking for the devils. The previous ability he used, although unknown, used quite a bit of stamina to use. He tried to call out whatever power he used to save Akeno but it didn't work so he thought it might have been a one-time thing.

"Well now, you are just full of surprises aren't you" Valper exclaimed, not fully understanding how the little runt managed to intercept the attack. It seemed as though he teleported but it did not appear that way. Anyways, he needed to finish this as soon as possible otherwise Beelzebub would have his head. He already lost several devils to mere children which is something that will greatly displease Shalba so he had to make his objective a success or suffer his wrath.

"It seems I will have to deal with this myself" making his decision, Valper stormed towards Issei, who noticed him and, this time, was ready to intercept him

Issei and Valper started to exchange blows with one another. Although Valper had more battle experience than Issei, his instincts were able to aid him in dodging the devils blows. Unfortunately, there are times that Valper's blows do hit Issei as although his instincts can keep up with his enemy, his body has yet to develop to match his instincts. Still, his defences managed to reduce the damage dealt by Valper whenever he landed a hit thanks to his scales. The natural tough defence of a dragon's body is very helpful.

Issei rushed forwards and sent a right hook towards Valper's face but, seeing the attack coming, Valper simply swayed his body back a bit to dodge the attack. Issei realized to late the mistake he made because now his attack left him vulnerable as Valper took full advantage of and counter-attacked him with a punch enhanced with demonic energy straight to the face prompting a cry of pain from issei as blood trickled down his lips while sending him flying across the field. Thankfully, he utilized his wings to regain his balance and managed to land right besides Akeno who used her lightning to dispatch a 2 winged devil who got to close. He also blocked a demonic shot that was aimed at her by crossing his arm and taking the hit for her although it did nothing but scratch him.

"Are you Ok Akeno?" he asked her without looking at her, always keeping his eyes on the enemy without dropping his guard, especially Valper

"Well now, it seems you are incredibly persistent. Despite being a child, you have managed to deal quite a hefty amount of damage here, even despatching some of the lower level devils. In the future, you would have become quite a menace. Yet, you are really starting to drive my patience you little brat. In fact, this has gone on for long enough. Originally, we were planning to retrieve you in one piece but so long as you are alive, our objective will be met so it is time to end this." Valper started forming sphere of demonic energy between his hands. Issei could tell that he was gathering an immense amount of demonic energy.

"Normally, an attack like this would kill a child such as yourself, but your naturel defenses will keep you alive, although barely which is more than I can say for that fallen angel behind you. This is the end" as he shot a demonic blast towards them.

Issei quickly got in front of Akeno and gathered as much power as he could in the bits of his stomach and launched his very own dragons roar as an orange wave of fire burst forth. Both attacks collided in the center and started pushing against one another trying to dominate the other. The stalemate did not last long as Valpers attack was slowly pushing back Issei's attack. Issei tried to output more power into his attack, yet it seemed to me his current limit. His mind recalled his earlier training with his parents.

_Flashback_

_Issei was practicing in the dimensional gap with his father to utilize his breath attack. He gathered as much power as possible in the center of his stomach and then expelled the flame outwards. Unfortunately, the results were unsatisfactory for Issei. While his dad praised him to be able to generate a roar that could annihilate any 4 winged devil/fallen-angel or angel especially for a youngling of only 7 years of age, Issei felt his attack lacking as it did not give the impact he saw his parents breath do. _

"_What am I doing wrong, dad. I'm doing exactly as you told me yet my own power is not doing what I wanted." He started complaining to his dad which he found absolutely adorable. He and Ophis really enjoy whenever Issei holds a tamper tantrum although they would never tell him that so he simply chuckled at his sons display._

"_I want to be as cool and strong as you guys in order to make you proud" Issei said_

"_I understand Issei but what you are talking about is more along the lines of motivation. You must find something worth treasuring with your entire being. Dragons are beings of fearsome might especially when protecting that which they hold dear. It can be literally anything my son. For Tannin, it is the preservation of the dragon's race. For the Heavenly dragons Ddraig and Albion, it was their rivalry to one another. For Fafnir, it is the collection of treasures he collected over the centuries. Hell, even a lust for battle as seen with the Evil dragons are the source of their almighty strength. Each one of them have something that they would dedicate their entire being to. You just need to figure out what it is. Your mother and I cannot help you in that regard. This is your journey, your life and will be up to you to figure out what you want to be._

_And for the record Issei, no matter what type of dragon you wish to become or how powerful you are, know that Ophis and I will always, for all eternity be proud of you because our treasure, that which we hold dearest, is and always has been you."_

"_Your father is absolutely right about that Issei. No matter what you do, we will always love you because you are our son" Ophis added as she formed a wonderful smile towards him. This cause Issei to cry a bit as he went and hugged his parents so happy to have their support and love no matter what._

"_Alright, enough of this sappy display, lets continue training" Great-red said which caused everyone to chuckle a bit before Issei responded with_

"_Yes"_

_End of flashback_

Recalling his fathers' words, he started thinking

'_what kind of dragon do I want to be_' he asked himself, however no matter what his decision would not chance from the answer he gave his father. He wants to be as strong and majestic like his father, graceful loving like his mother. His parents are and will always be his idols regarding what kind of awesome and cool looking dragon he wants to be.

'_what do I treasure most_.'

His mind wondered to the people who were close to him. His mother and father, Aunty Shuri and Uncle Barakiel, especially… Akeno.

I..

Valper's blast was inching closer and closer

I..

**I WANT TO PROTECT THOSE I LOVE**

All of a sudden, he felt a surge of power gush from his being as his fire suddenly increased in both intensity and size. In addition, the color of the fire changed from an orange hue to dark crimson just like his scales. His newfound strength slowly began to overpower Valpers attack. Seeing this sudden reversal, Valper became frustrated since he held the advantage just a moment ago

"What the hell is happening? Where did this surge of power come from?" he screamed as he tried to add even more power to his attack however it seemed to have no effect. His allies tried adding their own power to aid him however, the moment their attack came close to Issei fire, they evaporated from the sheer intensity of it.

"No no no no, this cannot be! I refuse to be defeated by a mere infant. I will not be defeated here you damn monster". He tried everything he could but nothing mattered as his blast quickly dissipated as Issei breath attack enveloped Valper

"CCCUUUUUURRRSSSSEEEEE YOOOOOOUUUUU DRAGON" he cursed as he took his last breath of life. Huge explosions followed wherever his breath travelled causing a massive amount of smoke

After the dust cleared Issei sees that his breath attack scorched the leader as well as any unfortunate devil caught in its way to ashes. The force of his attack was also powerful enough to destroy part of the barrier that surrounded them.

The remaining devils could not believe their eyes at the destruction caused by the boy. The power he demonstrated was enough to destroy their leader with little resistance and he was powerful enough to have 4 pairs of wings.

"What a monster" was what was going through each of their minds as their bodies shook in fear at the overwhelming might displayed in front of them.

Seeing that his breath attack destroyed many devils including the leader, his fatigue suddenly came back in full force. He used every last drop of power he could muster and finally collapsed on the floor as his consciousness was leaving him. Before succumbing to it he was able to hear Akeno screaming his name.

When Issei woke up, he found himself in a room that was not his, but looking at his surrounding recognized as the guest room located in Akeno's home. When he tried to get up, he felt a bit of weight on his hand, so he turned his attention to it only to find that Akeno was located near him, grasping his hand for dear life and he noticed that she was asleep next to him. Trying to recall what had happened, his memories of the events that transpired slowly resurfaced as he remembered what had happened. A group of devils suddenly appeared out of nowhere with the goal of kidnapping him for reasons he had no idea. They tried to kill Akeno but he somehow found the strength needed to protect her and finally managed to master his fire breath which annihilated all the remaining devils including the 10 winged devil leader. But then, his memory became a blue so he guessed he must have collapsed at that moment.

He suddenly felt Akeno stir in her slept meaning that she was about to wake up and sure enough her eyelids slowly opened revealing her beautiful violet eyes. Upon seeing Issei awake, she quickly embraced him, encasing his head into her decent developed chest, for a seven-year-old girl. The perks of being born part fallen. She started sobbing so thankful that he was awake.

"Thank god, you are aright Issei. I was so worried when I saw you collapse, I.. I thought that you died." She said as tears poured out of her eyes. Seeing this, he embraced her trying to sooth her as he rubbed her back.

"I'm OK Akeno-chan, sorry for making you worry so much." He tried his best to reassure her as he continued. "Also, are you ok, I remembered that those bastards injured you and I want to make sure you are alright"

Slowly getting out of his embrace and staring him right in the eyes, she immediately replied

"You idiot, you were injured way worst than I was taking on those devils and yet here you are worrying about me instead of yourself." Issei could tell from her voice that she was extremely worried about him which made him feel sad at causing her to feel this way. He used his thumbs to wipe away her tears

"You are my best friend, Akeno-chan, so, of course I am going to worry about your safety. I am just glad that I was able to protect you." He told her as he gave her a smile showing he meant every word of it. His sincerity caused her to blush as she dove her head back in his chest and enjoyed his embrace. Eventually they separated and Issei asked her

"Can you tell me what happened after I lost consciousness since I'm guessing a bit happened considering that I know I was not able to finish them all" he asked her to which she nodded as she retold him what happened after he passed out.

(Akeno's Perspective from a few hours ago)

After Issei launched his devastating breath, Akeno marveled at the power her best friend unleashed. Once again, she was reminded of how strong Issei was compared to her. Here she was, barely able to defeat a 2-winged angel and yet he managed to deal critical damage to most if not all of them and even managed to defeat their leader as well as many others with his last attack. However, her wonder was cut short as she saw Issei fall

"ISSEI… ISSEI" she screamed with all her might quickly running towards him fearing for the worst. She was extremely worried as she picked him up and checked to see if he was still breathing. To her relief, she saw his chest rising slowly showing that he simply fell unconscious from the resulting attack. It shows how he placed every ounce of power he could into his attack. She wanted to quickly get back home and have his wounds checked out however, reality had other ideas. From the smoke, the remaining devils who survived the blast came out into the open also looking at the devastation caused by their target, still not believing what is in front of their very eyes.

"Holy shit, this brat is a fucking monster." One of them shouted although the thought was reciprocated by every single remaining survivor.

"I know, I cannot believe a mere brat was able to defeat so many of us including paimon-sama. We severely underestimated the brat despite knowing that he is Ophis spawn" one of the remaining 6-winged devils said, clearly enraged at the state they were reduced to but once he saw Issei unconscious, his attitude did a full 18 as a smirk appeared on his face.

"well, well, well, it seems the monster's finally hit his limit. I have to admit, for a moment, I did not believe we would survive this ordeal but it seems lady luck favors us today. We may have lost almost half of our group including our leader but it seems we will be able to complete our objective here." He said as he slowly made his way towards Issei. Seeing this, Akeno immediately got in front of Issei and shouted

"I WILL NOT LET YOU TOUCH HIM!". Seeing this the six-winged devil started laughing which was accompanied by his companion's laughter.

"my, my, for a fallen angel weakling, you are certainly very brave." Facing towards her with the same awful smirk he wears "Brave yet also extremely foolish. How do you expect to stop us? Unlike that monster laying there, you are very weak."

Seeing him make his way towards them, Akeno gathered whatever remaining magic she could and shot it towards the approaching devil. As holy lightning was making its way towards him, he simply snuffed, and to prove his earlier point, he simply waved his hand and that was all that was required to dispel the attack which frightened Akeno.

"You see, you cannot do anything to stop us! While it's true that the holy attribute is, in fact, our biggest weakness, your level of power is much to weak to be able to damage a four-winged devil, let alone myself who is even stronger. As I just demonstrated, your attack was not even able to faze me. Even if I let your attack hit me, it would not even have counted on the level of a mosquito bite. Anyways, this shit has taken far to long in my opinion. We will take that buy and he will pay for what he did to us." Looking at her, he suddenly got a flash of inspiration on how to torment the boy.

"Oh, I just got an excellent idea to make him suffer. It seems the abomination had cared for you very much considering how far he went to protect you from harm. How about this? I will make sure that when he wakes up, the first thing he will see is your head on a spike. Bahahaha, oh I cannot wait to see the look of despair he will have when he realizes that he failed to protect anything and his struggles were all useless. What a pleasant sight that will be. Aren't I right boys?" he asked his comrades who all nodded and even laughed at his suffering which disgusted Akeno to her very core, yet she could do nothing but let out a few tears, powerless to do anything. Her look of despair brought immeasurable joy to the six-winged devil as he started gathering a lot of demonic power in his hand and pointed it towards them.

"Time to die, fallen angel." He said as he shot the blast of demonic power at them.

Knowing her end was in sight, she simply embraced Issei as she closed her eyes waiting for her inevitable demise.

All of a sudden, the barrier surrounding them broke apart as an immense amount of holy lighting intercepted the demonic energy quickly dispelling it as it made contact with it. Akeno opened her eyes to see what happened and to her relief saw her father bathed in holy lightning standing in front of them. However, this time she bore witness to a side of her father that she had never seen. In front of her, stood a very enraged Barakiel glaring furiously at the devils.

"How dare you shits harm my daughter." He shouted as he released a charge of holy lightning towards the devils and unlike his daughter's attack, his attack obliterated from existence any devils that stood in its range. Seeing a fallen angel cadre make his appearance caused the devils to jerk away in fear knowing they stood no chance against him. Yet, their fear was taken a notch higher when they saw who stepped forward behind Barakiel. Making their way forward was an enraged Ophis followed by Great red. The power radiating from them was immeasurable and caused many devils to pee in their pants knowing who stood before them. Luckily, or unluckily, they did not recognize that the man standing before them was Great-red. If they did, they most likely would have died from shock the instant they saw both dragon gods enter their view.

"OH SHIT, ITS OPHIS, EVERYONE RETREAT NOW!" one of them shouted with extreme fear however before they could take one step, an overwhelming amount of killing intent was directed towards which rendered them immobile. Even Barakiel was flinching at their power even though their rage was not directed towards him.

"**None of you vermin are going anywhere.**" Stated Great-red. He motioned his hand upwards as he made a newly constructed barrier around them for multiple reasons. The first, being the obvious one, to prevent any of the accursed devils to escape from them. They have harmed his son and they will regret it very painfully. The second reason is to be able to contain the release of power that is emanating from both dragon gods since they are beyond enraged at this point in time and it was taking every single fiber of their being to keep their powers from exploding outwards and destroying the entire country of japan and all its residence.

In the supernatural world, there was one fact that every supernatural being agreed upon and that is to "never cause a dragon's outrage less you live to see another day". Dragons have always one of the strongest, if not the strongest species to ever roam the world. It is the reason why many have feared them and even hunted them down. However, they become the most dangerous creatures when angered. Even a low-level dragon, when outraged, can cause widespread destruction. Heck, it took the three factions, including God and the original 4 devil kings to make a temporary truce amongst themselves to deal with the two enraged heavenly dragons Albion and Ddraig and even though they succeeded, hundreds of thousands of people died in the conflict. This illustrated to the entire world that you do not mess with an angry dragon because if you do you may not live to see another day. Angering the dragon-gods is something no faction, even the Hindu faction, would ever dare to attempt less they face extinction. These devils were about learn the hard way what it means to anger not one but both dragon-gods.

What happened next was not a 'battle' but rather a one-sided slaughter as they all completely obliterated all of them from the phase of existence. Even the surrounding park vanished leaving only destruction and ruin in its wake. Many of the devils were tortured to death by Ophis as she exploded each of their limbs, one by one making sure to make their death as excruciating as possible before death embraced them. Great red simply evaporated each one of them. He did not care to maim or torture them. All he cared about was to make them pay for they did to his son and like insects, he would simply crush them. In the end, not a single devil remained in sight.

"**It is finished!**" Great red said stoically as he looked at the surrounding destruction his wife and him caused (with a little bit of help from Barakiel :p lol).

"Don't you think you overdid it a little?" Barakiel asked looking at the ruined scenery in front of him.

"**Sorry my friend, but we needed to let out a bit of steam and you know as well as I that they deserved every bit of it for what they did to our children.**" He answered back at him.

"They deserved far worst than that" Ophis added angrily still not over the fact that her little Issei was harmed. Great red walked next to her and brought his hand near her waist and embraced her which managed to calm her down a bit.

"You are right. We should fix this place before heading home."

"**Leave that to me**" as Great-red snapped his fingers and the damage to the park and its surroundings immediately disappeared as everything returned to normal. One would never guess an apocalyptic massacre occurred there. Ophis then went to pick up her unconscious son where she caressed her sons face as her anger shifted to sadness seeing the poor state of Issei. Barakiel did the same for his daughter as she barely had the strength to stand up after everything she's been through.

(End of Akeno's explanation)

Afterwards, our parents took us back home and treated our wounds. Aunty Ophis has been taking care of you everyday and it took much convincing to pry her off of you.

"I see. Thanks for feeling in the blanks for me Akeno-chan. I didn't get the chance to say this but I'm sorry for everything that you have been through. For whatever reason, those devils were after me and you would not have been hurt if it were not for me" he soberly said as moved his head towards the floor.

Akeno embraced him. "It's OK. You protected me from them just like you promised. I'm just really glad that you are alright as well". As they were consoling each other, they heard a small laugh coming from the door

"ara ara, it seems I am interrupting something. If it means seeing my daughter react like this, then maybe Issei should get injured a bit more" she jokingly said as both quickly separated each wearing a big blush on their faces

Although Shuri was teasing them, from her tone you could tell how relieved she was to see him awake and well. She approached them and sat down near Issei.

"I'm so relieved that you are alright Issei." She smiled at him who recovered from his blush and he smiled back

"Yes, Aunty Shuri, I'm fine. Dragons are very resilient after all, at least according to my dad."

"I also wanted to thank you so much. If it wasn't for you, God knows what would have happened to Akeno. You managed to protect her from those devils despite being injured and so from the bottom of my heart, I thank you" she sincerely told him as she bowed her head.

Seeing this, Issei started waving his hands left and right

"Please don't bow to me aunty. Akeno is my best friend but more than that, I see all of you as part of my family. I will protect those that I care about. That is the sort of person I want to be" he told her. She responded by giving him a hug.

"ufu, what a fine young man you will turn out to be. It seems that Akeno will be in good hands" she casually said which surprised Issei

"wait… what I di…" all of a sudden, the door burst open and all of them turned their attention towards it to see who caused the commotion. From the entryway, they saw that it was Ophis, who as soon as she sensed her son awake quickly bolted towards his room. Seeing him awake and healthy, in a burst of speed no saw coming, she rushed towards him and embraced him into her chest while a well of tears dripped down her face

"Issei, my baby boy, I'm so grateful you are alright. I'm sorry you had to go through all that pain and suffering. What a horrible mother I am to allow such a thing to happen to you."

While issei was very grateful for his mother's concern, her breasts were currently suffocating him as she is using a bit more strength than she intended so he was trying to escape her grasp to catch his breath but to no avail as his strength pales in comparison to his mother. However, salvation came to him very soon in the form of his father.

"**Ophis, calm down a little bit. You are suffocating the poor lad. Are you trying to finish what those devils started?**" his father told Ophis. Quickly realizing he was right, she let go of her son who took a few deep breaths. Ophis blushed a little at what she did and told Issei she was sorry but Issei told her that it was ok, he then looked at his father and thanked him for the save. Great-red patted his boy's head then gave him his own embrace

"**Well done my son! I am extremely proud of you with what you accomplished and like your mother, I am extremely happy that you are safe.**" He let go Issei afterwards, as Barakiel came from behind him and knelt down in front of Issei to give him a hard embrace as well.

"Issei my boy, thank you… thank you so very much for doing what I couldn't and protecting my daughter. If it wasn't for you, she would not be with us and for that you have my eternal gratitude. Thank you so much." Issei heard him say and he could tell from his voice that he was crying with relief showing how much he meant every word. Issei returned his embrace and said

"No problem uncle Barakiel, like I told aunty Shuri, I will always protect those I care about." Great-red patted Issei head again, proud of his answer and Ophis gave him a wonderful smile illustrating how proud she was of her son as well.

(If it wasn't already clear by this point, both Issei and Akeno regard each other parents as aunts and uncles and they are all perfectly fine with it 😊)

"Now Issei, although we already heard most of what happened from Akeno, I would like you to tell us of the events that occurred from your perspective if you do not mind." Issei nodded and began explaining everything that occurred since the moment they entered the park to the point where he lost consciousness. Shuri and Barakiel were once again reminded of how close Akeno came to lose her life were it not for Issei. Ophis was furious that those worthless devils harmed her son and also proud of her son for his strength. Great-red was equally proud of his son as he also realized that he may have unconsciously used an ability that stems from his domain during his battle with the devils

"hmm, very interesting. From what you told me, it appears you activated an ability of mine called 'distortion'. In it's true form, the ability allows me to distort reality like its name suggest, making something out of nothing and making the impossible possible. In simpler terms, it is just like in a dream where anything you can imagine becomes real. What you accomplished was the basic form of the ability. It allowed you to react in a burst of speed unthinkable from your distance in order to intercept the attack that was headed towards Akeno." He explained to his son.

"But, how come I couldn't activate it again afterwards?" he asked.

"You must have activated the ability subconsciously, your strong desire to protect Akeno from harm must have brought out the ability from within you but at the moment, your body is too weak to handle the continuous power and stress of using my abilities. Still, for you to activate subconsciously this early, illustrates the bountiful potential you hold within you my son. I have never been prouder of you my boy." Great-red stated which caused Issei to smile with a blush. His mother also agreed with his father.

"Anyways, what is your take on this Barakiel as you have more experience handling devils than us?" to which Barakiel started thinking before answering

"From what Issei and my daughter told us, at first, I thought that it was a group of stray devils who happened to come across our kids but this felt too organised to that. They even knew that Issei was Ophis child which makes it all the more puzzling how they found out considering how you've been keeping a low profile and not interacting with anyone other than us. And, before you ask, I swear on my family that none of us ever told a single soul about you. I can stake my life on that." The dragons both nodded trusting it wasn't them. They develop a friendly relationship with them and know they would not put any of them in jeopardy. Barakiel continued "They have been carefully planning their moves until Issei was vulnerable where they trapped him in a barrier which prevented even you guys from sensing the danger and ambushed him. We were lucky that Issei was able to destroy part of the barrier which allowed you to sense the danger or our children wouldn't be with us today. The question becomes who is bold and stupid enough to even attempt a kidnapping knowing Issei is the son of a dragon-god? I can safely say that none of the three factions would ever attempt a suicidal activity like this since they do not wish to invoke your wrath on them. If it was the fallen angels, Azazel would have warned me about it. The devils would have most likely evacuated the area or even send all 4 Maous to attempt something like this. Lastly, I don't see Michael and the angels targeting an innocent child no matter which species they belong to. So then, this would be the efforts of a rogue devil group which would further indicate that this was indeed done by strays' devils. If I had the resources to investigate, I may have been able to come to a solid conclusion, however unless I bring in Azazel to help us, it would be extremely hard to do. Anyhow, since their attempt has failed, they may be trying to recuperate and try again so I suggest we keep our kids within eye sight at all times until we can be sure that they are safe from any other attempts" Barakiel stated as everyone agreed with his decision as well.

They all decided to end this little meeting in order to allow everyone some due rest much needed after all the stress this incident caused. Unknown to Issei however, was that Akeno failed to mention or was to embarrassed to let him know of something else that happened. Before their parents saved them from the attack, she also whispered a few words to him thinking her end was in sight.

_As she embraced Issei awaiting her demise, she whispered "I'm sorry Issei-kun… I love you"_

(Old-Maou Faction Headquarters)

Unbeknownst to Ophis and the rest, there was a survivor from the group that assaulted Issei and Akeno who observed the entire situation from afar and quickly evacuated before they could sense and obliterate him. Now, he was making his way towards his leaders to explain of the events that transpired knowing that they would be displeased with the results. He opened the doors leading to the room where all 3 descendants of the Maou's were discussing their future plans. They turned towards him wanting to see who disturbed their meeting. Beelzebub was clearly annoyed at this and snapped at the poor fellow.

"Why have you interrupted our meeting? You better have a good reason for wasting our precious time?" The devil gulped and took a deep breath before answering him

"My lords, I am part of the group that has been assigned to kidnap the spawn of Ophis and I came to relay the news"

"Then off with it! Let's hear it." The devil then explained the events that occurred and as expected Beelzebub was furious while the other 2 were displeased that their plan had failed.

"YOU ARE ALL SO USELESS." Beelzebub screamed as he shot a block of demonic power towards the messenger killing him instantly. He then proceeded to smash the table in front of him trying to dispel his anger but with little success

"DAMN IT, now how are we supposed to acquire Ophis power. We concocted in order to force it to give us power only for it to end in failure. All that time and manpower wasted and FOR NOTHING." Letting out his demonic power which forced his subordinates to run outside lest they face the same fate as their earlier brethren leaving only the other 2 descendants to deal with him.

"Calm yourself Shalba. You are disgracing the title of Beelzebub with this display" Katerea told him. Shalba turned his attention towards and sneered ay her

"Don't you dare mock me, Katerea. This was all your idea in the first place and it ended in failure. I knew we should have sent one of us with those idiots to ensure success yet both of you denied it." This time Creuserey Asmodeus responded to him

"Do not be a fool Shalba. You know as well as I do why we could not gone with them. Unlike our servants, Ophis would have definitely been able to recognize us and the last thing we want is for it to get in our way. Based on how the situation went for them, it seems we underestimated the boy but, in the end, they were all obliterated by Ophis. If we went with them and she saw us, she would have instantly known it was us and her wrath would have descended upon us! Our ambitions would have ended then and there. Is that what you want Shalba?" Creuserey vented towards him. Usually, Creuserey is always calm but seeing Shalba insult the women he loves invoke his anger. Katerea continued after him

"Thankfully, from what he told us, those idiots did not reveal any important information regarding their allegiance so they would most likely believe the group to be stray devils and not suspect that it was us who orchestrated everything. It is a real shame that we will not be able to acquire Ophis power but we need to cut our losses and move on. Any further assault on Ophis spawn will just redirect her anger at us which is something we cannot afford at the present time." Katerea calmly explained to both her colleagues.

"Then what the fuck do you suppose we do. Unless you forgot, we need that dragons power in order to usurp those fake maous and reclaim our rightful place in the underworld."

"We simply must find a different source of power so it would seem we have no choice but to contact 'him' for help. I contacted him once before and he said he would be happy to offer his aid so long as we help him with a few things" she told them. Eventually Shalba reluctantly agreed with his fellow Maou as his goals took priority over anything else. He will have his revenge against the new Maou and will become the ruler he was always meant to be whatever the sacrifices need to be made.

**CHAPTER END**

**The following chapter will most likely be the last chapter before we head into cannon timeline unless I get a flash of inspiration to do something before then. Please leave a review if you wish and I'll see you next chapter**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys, sorry to have kept you all waiting for this new release. I have been extremely busy and could barely find the time to work on my story and I feel really bad for making those who followed my story wait so long. I hope you will all enjoy this chapter that I've managed to make and that it was worth the wait. I apologize if there are a few grammar errors but I wanted to give you guys the chapter you all were waiting for. **

**I managed to make about three chapters worth of contents and I was going to divide this into its 3 components, however since everyone has been patient with my story, I decided to combine it ALL because you deserve it. This is most likely the biggest chapter I have ever come up with in terms of content, probably ever will, 17000 WORDS. **

**Also This is the last chapter before we will head into the cannon timeline SO SIT BACK RELAX AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY MY RECENT CREATION.**

A year has passed since the incident with the rogue devils and life had gone back to normal for everyone. In the beginning, Ophis, Great-red and Barakiel kept their children as close as possible to ensure their safety in case the devils decided to make another attempt at their children. However, after a few months of no activity, they judged that everything was fine and soon everything went back to normal after everything calmed down. Issei's and Akeno's relationship continued to grow with each passing day. It got to the point where they were practically inseparable. In addition, Issei started to take his training a lot more seriously since the incident taught him that there were a lot of dangerous beings out there and he needed to grow stronger in order to be able to protect Akeno and those he held dear. He understood that his victory was only due to luck, having been able to destroy the barrier containing them thus allowing their parents to rescue them. To make matters worst, according to Akeno, he lost consciousness while there were still many enemies left alive thus endangering her life. Of course, no one blamed him for having lost consciousness. He fought with every once of strength he had and against several enemies while protecting Akeno from harm. The very fact that he managed to do that at such a young age was worthy of praise; but, unfortunately, for Issei it was a strike to his pride. He won the battle but lost the war. If his parents were a tad bit late or he failed to destroy the barrier then both of them would not have been alive today which is why he wished to gain strength in order to avoid such a scenario from happening again.

Even Akeno started to get better at using her holy lighting. She wanted to get stronger so she would not be a burden to Issei. Even though he denied it, she knew that Issei would have had a much easier time had she not been so weak and useless. Most of the time, the devils took advantage of her in order to be able to land hits on Issei. Not only did he have to focus on fighting the enemy, but he also had to split his attention towards protecting her which made him more vulnerable to Valper's assault. The scar across his chest is proof enough of her inadequacy. In order to avoid being placed in such a situation ever again, she started training with her dad whenever he had time to spare.

Today, however was not a time for unpleasant thoughts because today was a special day and both of them were busy getting ready for the occasion. Today was Issei's birthday and both families agreed to spend his birthday at the amusement park which made him very excited. They were supposed to go there last year but the devil incident caused their parents to become paranoid and would not let the kids out of their sights so there was barely any chance to do any activities other than staying at each others place but now that things calmed down and the fact that it was Issei's birthday, they could finally plan a trip to the amusement park. After waking up, he quickly dressed himself up and headed downstairs for breakfast. His parents had already finished eating and were ready to go but it seems they were having a bit of an argument.

"For the last time, we are not going using your sh.. (**cough) ** useless motorcycle. We already agreed to meet Shuri and her family at their shrine and we can simply teleport there." Ophis told Great-red. She had to correct herself there as she did not want to swear in front of Issei as much as possible.

"**WHY NOT! This bike is super fast and we can meet them in style**" complained Great-red.

"Your bike will just give me and Issei a massive headache with all the noise it creates. That contraption is even noisier than you and that is saying something."

"**OYYY Ophis. This bike is a divine creation. A miracle created by the hands of humans and it does not deserve to be called a contraption. This is the God of all machines with speed exceeding..**" however before he could continue, he was interrupted by his wife

"Yeah, yeah, yeah I already heard all of that a million times already. If you love it so much, why don't you marry it. I'm sure me and Issei can find another place to stay and leave you two alone." Ophis teased him with a devious smirk on her face. Great-red, caught by surprise by that statement, could only stutter a response

"**uhh…I…wha**" It seems that after all these years spent together, she finally knows how to deal with him which just left him grumbling

"**hmf, I liked you better when you were trying to kill me**" he whispered.

"What was that?" she retorted

"**Nothing! We will do things your way. Today is Issei's special day and I wouldn't want us to spend it arguing over pointless things**" he sighed looking at issei who was finishing his breakfast.

"Yes, it is!" she nodded as she shifted her attention towards Issei

"Issei! Are you done with your breakfast?"

"Yes, mom! I've finished eating! Let's go go go!" said an excited Issei already at the door which caused both parents to laugh at their sons reactions.

"Alright Issei, come here. We will be teleporting to the shrine to save time and meet up with Shuri, Barakiel and Akeno."

"Hai" Issei said making his way towards his parents. When they were all ready, Ophis activated her magic circle which teleported them to their destination. Now located in front of the familiar, the Hyoudou family made its way towards the front entrance where they were greeted with the sight of the family they were going to meet. At the sight of Issei, Akeno quickly ran towards him with a bright smile on her face and enveloped him into a hug.

"Happy birthday Issei!" she cheered.

"Thank you Akeno-chan" he answered as he returned her embrace. In back of Akeno were her parents who were slowly making their way towards them and seeing this display caused Shuri to giggle.

"Ara ara, fufu! The day has barely begun and Akeno has already made our little Issei happy. We have your gifts ready for you at home, but if you prefer, we can always change them and give you Akeno, if it will make you happier." She teased which got the exact reaction she hopped for as they both separated from one another, blushing healingly. Great-red then joined in on the fun.

"**You can't do that Shuri! There is no way we can defeat that gift! HAHAHAHA.**" He said causing the others to also join in on the joke. Although it didn't seem possible, Issei and Akeno's cheek became a brighter sheet of red as they shouted respectively

"DAD" "MOM"

As the laugh settled down, Ophis decided to get everyone back on track albeit with a little tease mixed in.

"If you are done bullying the 'newlyweds', we have an amusement park to get to." Everyone nodded at her statement and Issei's mood went from embarrassed to excited in one moment.

"Yay, let's go."

A few moments later, they all arrived at the amusement park and Issei could hide the awe he felt at the sheer size and number of rides there were. So many people were seen enjoying every sort of ride and he could not wait to get on each of them as this was his first time in such a place. Akeno could not help but share in his excitement; however; unlike Issei, this is not the first time she had been to the amusement park as her parents took her once before. She was also excited because this would be the first time she could come to such a place with not only her friend but with the boy who she held a crush on. Before she could continue on with her thoughts, Issei grabbed her by the hand and dragged her towards the rides, in the process causing her to blush at his assertiveness but went by unnoticed by the culprit.

"Let's go on this one Akeno" Issei pointed towards the roller coaster. Akeno simply nodded as they made their way towards the line. Their parents following closely behind while chatting with one another. Time went by very fast for Issei as he got on different rides. Rollercoaster, merry go round, pirate ship and he even tried bungy jumping although that made him a bit nauseous but nevertheless, he had a lot of fun. They even went into the arcade and this is where things got a bit interesting. He challenged Akeno to many different games from racing games to dancing games but he always ended up losing.

"Akeno-chan, can't you go easy on me please?" pouted Issei causing Akeno to laugh

"Ara ara, can't the big strong dragon handle a little challenge? Are you asking me for some mercy?" teased Akeno.

"Never, let's go again!" shouted Issei, having his pride as a dragon wounded as he continued to play game after game against her but still losing. Amusingly enough, a short distance away, a similar situation was occurring with their fathers. Great-red, having spotted a motorcycle game quickly challenged Barakiel to a match which he accepted.

"**Are you ready for a royal beatdown, Barakiel**?" challenged Great-red with a smirk.

Barakiel answered with one of his own "Bring it on Red!". Unfortunately for Great-red, a real motorcycle is very different from an arcade one and he kept making mistakes causing him to lose the race.

"**I WANT A REMATCH! I just went easy on you OK. That is the only reason I lost but this time I will win**." shouted great-red, throwing a temper tantrum like a child. Deciding to humor him, Barakiel accepted his offer. Despite his eagerness, Great-red, like his son, kept losing time and time again. During one game he even resorted to cheating. When he was sure no one was looking at their direction, he spawned his tail and poked at Barakiel's side causing him to lose concentration and allowing Great-red to take the lead in their race.

"Wow, resorting to cheating, now are we? I never pegged you for a sore loser Red!" giggled Barakiel.

"**Doesn't matter! All is fair in love and war and I WILL WIN BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY**" he said. Yet, despite cheating he still ended up losing causing him to brood even further. Ophis could do nothing but sigh at both her husbands and son's behaviour.

"fufu, Why don't we go and have tea while the 'kids' are having their fun" suggested Shuri who casually even called her husband a kid. Ophis simply nodded as they made their way towards a seated table

"huh, sometimes I really wish he would act proper for once in his life." Stated Ophis about her husband

"He could, but then he wouldn't be the man you fell in love with, right?" Ophis sighed knowing that what Shuri said was true.

"You are right, as always! I just wish issei wouldn't behave to much like his father."

"Children inherit the traits of both their parents. Some are good and some are bad. Yet, despite that, we will never stop loving and cherishing them." Shuri stated looking towards her daughter. Ophis doing the same thing with her son

"Indeed! No matter what he becomes, I will always love my little Issei" she said with a smile on her face. Time went by and eventually they made it out of the arcade although both Issei and great-red could be seen head down brooding over their defeats. With synchronized motion they pointed towards their respective opponents

"Next time, I will not lose." They both said at the same time. Ophis recalling her earlier conversation with Shuri could not help but let out a small smile "_like father, like son indeed_". All a of a sudden, everyone a loud growl noise coming from both of them.

"**Oh, it seems we played until we were both hungry**!" rubbing his stomach as Great-red said this. Everyone started laughing making Issei a bit embarrassed but still joined in on the laugh. They made their way towards a restaurant where they could fill their bellies. Great-red ate what seems like an entire buffet while Ophis just had spaghetti Bolognese. Shuri ordered a salad and Barakiel, a steak. Issei, for his part, ate a steak and the same spaghetti his mom took while Akeno simply had the same as her mom. Noticing that evening was fast approaching, they quickly finished eating and headed out to take part in one last ride, the Ferris wheel. Normally, there was enough space for all of them to enter but they wanted to give their kids some private time together. Ophis even went up to the operator and asked if she could allow their sons cart to stop at the top for his birthday. Of course, her request was immediately accepted since it is impossible to say no to a goddess incarnate like Ophis, even if the recipient is a woman. If anything, during their entire trip, so many people have been gawking at Ophis. Both men and women stopping to get even a glimpse of her beauty. Men started in lust while women in awe and jealousy. Yet, this time, Ophis straight up ignored them all, focusing on her son's birthday. Anyways, as the ride was coming to a close, just as per Ophis requests, Issei's and Akeno's cart stopped at the top giving way to a magnificent view of the amusement park as well as the city of Kuoh.

"Wow, what a fantastic view" Akeno pointed out looking outside.

"Yes, it really is" he answered however he was not talking about the scenery when he said that but rather about the beautiful girl standing right in front of him although Akeno did not notice this.

"Akeno" Issei called out to her which made her turn her attention towards him as he continued

"Thank you very much for being here with me today. I cannot express how happy I am at the moment. Today has really been one of the best days of my life and I am glad that you are here to share it with me." Issei said revealing a beautiful smile that caused Akeno to blush heavily as she tried desperately to let out a response

"T Thank you Issei. I feel the same way as you do. I had a wonderful time today." Letting out her own impeccable smile as both of them starred passionately into each other eyes.

"Issei, I " just before Akeno could finish her statement, their attention was redirected towards a loud noise coming from outside their cart. The fireworks display had started and it was a very beautiful display. The grand finale featured a large variety of fireworks of different colors which was awesome; but what surprised them both, was the message displayed in the sky when the largest firework exploded revealing "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ISSEI!". Great-red had used his powers to manipulate the fireworks to give his son one last birthday gift. Issei could not help but let out a few tears expressing how happy he really is.

BOOM

The sound of another firework being launched reached their ears. This was most likely the last one before the end. What appeared out of that firework was something no one even imagined. It was an image of Great-reds motorcycle. He just had to have the last laugh. From inside their cart they could hear

"YOU BLOODY IDIOT" the sound of Ophis screaming at Great-reds idiocy. Looking down, they could actually see her strangling the life out of great-red shouting other curse words with Shuri and Barakiel laughing on the side. Seeing this spectacle caused them to laugh in turn thus bringing the day to an end.

On their way out of the amusement park, everyone could tell that Ophis was in a less pleasant mood over her husband's actions.

"Why the hell did you have to ruin the day with that?"

"**Hey! You have to at least give me that! I couldn't bring my motorcycle today so this was to make up for it.**"

"This was supposed to be Issei's special day. I honestly believed it was very sweet of you to use your powers in such a way with the fireworks display. And yet, you just had to show everyone your RIDICOULOUS FREAKING BIKE." Emphasizing the last part.

"**What are you talking about! Many people thought that my motorcycle was cool**"

"Yeah and they all look like degenerate delinquents."

"**At least they have an appreciation for class.**"

While his parents were bickering, Issei could not help but be happy about today. Despite what his mother believes, he had a blast today and he appreciates them organizing today and while it did not end positively, he was spending time with the people he cares about the most and he would not trade this for any luxury in the world.

"Well, this is where we part ways. Once again, happy birthday Issei and I hope you had a pleasant time today." Exclaimed Barakiel who patted the boy's head. Turning his attention towards his uncle

"Yeah, I had a blast uncle. Thank you for coming and you as well aunty Shuri." He said as Shuri embraced him in a hug, also wishing him a good birthday.

"ara, we also had fun Issei-kun. It was a pleasure to be part of such a special day and I think I can also for Akeno as well when I say there is no way we were going to miss it for the world. You know it isn't to late to switch your gifts for Akeno, ufufu."

"MOM!" the last part of Shuri's statement caused Akeno become embarrassed as she blushed at the remark which served to cause her mom to laugh some more.

"Sorry honey, but I just can't help but tease the two of you whenever possible." She said looking over her daughter who had a pouting expression. Understanding that this was who her mom was, she let out a small sigh in order to calm herself before turning her attention towards Issei. She moved forward and hugged him wishing him a happy birthday before heading back home

"Once again, happy birthday Issei. I also had a great time today and I hope to do this again some day"

"Thank you Akeno, although next time I will win." He said, still bitter at not being able to claim a single victory over her at the arcade.

"ufufu, one can always dream." Akeno said teasing Issei causing him to pout which she found cute. Before separating, Issei remembered something he wanted to ask her.

"Akeno-chan, at the ferris wheel you were trying to tell me something before we were interrupted by the fireworks display so I was just wondering what you wanted to tell me then?" his curiosity getting the better of him and asking her what she wanted to tell him. What he got in response was a heavy blush by Akeno who could not believe that he recalled such a moment. Taking a moment to recompose herself and to think of something to say, she took a deep breath and answered

"This isn't the right time to tell you Issei-san but, in a few weeks my birthday is coming up. Would you mind waiting until then to hear what I have to say?" she looked to him anticipating his answer.

"Of course, I don't mind Akeno-chan. I promise that on your birthday, I will listen to whatever you wish to tell me." He said lifting his pinky finger. Akeno then hooked her own on his solidifying their little oath as they both smiled towards one another.

"It's a promise" they both said at the same time before separating and returning to their respective families. Both families waved goodbye to each other before heading back home.

On their way home, Barakiel receives a call from none other than Azazel. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue but considering that today was his day off, the fact that he is contacting him now can only mean that there is some time of problem.

"Azazel, is something the matter?" asked Barakiel.

"Hey my friend! As a matter of fact, there is! Sorry for disrupting your day however, Grigori is under siege by various groups of rogue devils. I've already dispatched our forces but the northern section of Grigori has asked for reinforcements. Kokabiel, Penemue and Shemzahai are busy dealing with their own enemies so the only one I can ask for help is you. I know you were supposed to have the entire day off today and I really apologize for the inconvenience but if you can spare a moment of your time to help me resolve the issue, I would greatly appreciate it. With your help, it should not take to long, at most a few hours." Azazel explained in a serious attitude in contrast to his usual upbeat attitude emphasizing how serious the situation is. Barakiel did not want to leave but Azazel would not have contacted him if he could have helped it. With a heavy sigh he nodded to himself

"Alright Azazel, I'll be right there. Send me the coordinates and I'll deal with the situation as quick as possible."

"Thank you Barakiel! To make up for this, I can give you the rest of the week off so you can spend it with your family. Also, say hi to Shuri for me and not to beat you up to badly when you return. hahaha" he said reverting to his usual laid back behaviour when he stated the last sentence resulting in a small laugh from Barakiel. Some things never change.

"haha, that might not be possible Azazel. Anyway, I'll talk to you soon."

"very well! Good luck and stay safe." Azazel said as he hanged up the call. Barakiel then shifted his attention to his wife who had a worried look on her face. Akeno, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on and simply continued walking to her house.

"Is everything alright?" Shuri asked her husband who turned his head side to side.

"No, I just received an emergency summon from Azazel who needs my help taking down rogue devils attacking Grigori. I'm sorry honey, I know that I promised to spend the entire day with you but…" Shuri placed a finger on his mouth thus interrupting what Barakiel was about to say which surprised him.

"You should go. Akeno and I will be just fine. You need to go and help your friends." She said caressing his cheek to show everything was fine. Barakiel embraced his wife in a hug.

"Thank you Shuri." They both shared a kiss before separating as Barakiel prepared to depart.

"I'm off, I won't take too long. Tell Akeno I'll be back soon." smiled Barakiel as his wife smiled back as he teleported to Grigori. After that was done, Shuri made her way towards Akeno who noticed that her father was missing.

"Where did Tou-san go?" she asked her mother who responded

"Your father had to leave for an important meeting with his friends but he will be back soon so let's go home and prepare dinner, shall we." Shuri lied to her daughter due to the fact that she didn't want to rekindle any difficult memories. It has only been a year since the rogue devil's assault against them and she was scared that if she told Akeno about the real reason he left, it might have negative consequences. Besides, today was a day of happiness having celebrated Issei's birthday and her daughter was incredibly happy. No need to ruin the occasion so a small lie is fine.

"alright ka-san." She said as both women headed home.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being followed.

"It seems our source was correct. This is the family of that accursed fallen angel, Barakiel." Said an unknown man.

"Good. Contact the rest of the team and tell them to meet up in Kuoh. We will finally be able to claim our vengeance against that monster." He smirked evilly. The other followed suit before contacting the rest of their group.

Back at the shrine, Shuri finished preparing dinner for her family so all that was left was to wait for Barakiel to come home and eat. She looks over near the entrance to spot Akeno waiting for her father to return through the entrance. Smiling at her daughter, she made her way towards her, lifted her to place her on her lap and decided to brush her hair.

"When will dad get home?" Akeno asked her mother.

"Soon dear. He just needs to finish his bus…" all of a sudden, her senses warned her of incoming danger as she grabbed her daughter and bolted away from her spot. Mere moments later, the front entrance blew up sending debris everywhere. If Shuri had not reacted as soon as she did then both of them might not have survived the impact. However, the room itself is now a huge mess. The tansu has been pushed down on the floor and there is now a huge hole in the tatami floor. The dinner table is now turned upside down with dinner food sprayed all over the ground. After regaining her senses, she quickly looked to see if Akeno was alright and to her relief, she did not have a scratch on her save for her clothes being singed due to the blast's heat. Her attention was soon diverted as many unknown man stormed in the place and surrounded them.

"Who… who are you and what do you want with us?" she screamed at them while keeping her daughter close to her who was very scared at the moment while internally thinking "_tou-san, help us! Please tou-san help…. Issei-kun!_" as she buried her trembling body into her moms embrace praying that help will come in time.

One of them stepped forward with a smirk on his face and answered

"well since you asked _so nicely_, we are your enemies or more specifically, we bear a grudge with the fallen angel Barakiel. He has been a thorn in our side for many years so when we received a tip telling us where his family was hidden… well the chance was too good to pass up." Shuri shivered understanding what they were planning to do but she would be damned if she let anything happen to Akeno.

Another one stepped forward, presumably the leader since he carried himself as such.

"I will have you hand that child over. She is the child of the hated and evil black angel" he told her only to get shut down

"I won't hand over this child! This child is my precious daughter! And also an important and precious daughter of that person! Never! I will absolutely not hand her over!"

The leader simply sighed.

"It seems, just like we were told, that you have indeed been defiled by the fallen angel. What a shame that for such a noble lineage to fall in disgrace. It can't be helped then!" Akeno watched as the jutsusha drew out a katana, lifted it up high and slashed down. Akeno's mind slowed down as the katana made contact with on her mother's back. Blood splashing upwards as her mother's body was slowly dropping lifelessly to the ground having protected her daughter.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, KAAAA-SAN" Akeno shrieked as she shacked her mother body trying desperately to wake her up.

"PLEASE WAKE UP… wake up ka-san" pleaded Akeno in tears, completely in denial that her mother has passed away in her arms.

"hmf, that wretched women got what she deserved. To think she would spoil her lineage with a disgusting fallen angel." Spat one of them. Akeno could do nothing but stare at them, clear anger in her eyes but powerless to do anything against them

"Remember this, fallen angels are evil existences that have been cast out of heaven due to their sins and it is our mission to get rid of them for the good of humanity. It is a real shame about your mother but If your mother did not associate with these evil beings, she would still be alive today. Unfortunately, since you are a spawn of that retched angel, your existence is one that we also cannot tolerate. I do not enjoy torturing children so I'll make this as painless as possible". The leader once again made his way forward and lifted his katana to finish what they all came to do.

Before the jutsusha could finish off Akeno, they heard a loud crash behind them

"**STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER**." An angry Barakiel stood behind them ready to kill them. Having sensed that something was wrong, he quickly dispatched the rogue devils he was assigned to get rid off and quickly teleported his way back home only to find that he was too late. Tears flowing out of his face as he looked upon his wife's dead body which quickly turned into extreme rage as he saw the men responsible trying to finish off his daughter. He quickly shot a bolt of lighting at the jutsusha that was about to strike at Akeno, reducing him to ash. Some of them tried to attack Barakiel but unfortunately none could even come close to reaching him before being vaporized by his lightning.

The rest tried their best to get away, however Barakiel was not having any of that. Using his lightning, he quickly vaporized any of them that stood in his way. This one-sided massacre ended after a few minutes, with all jutsusha lying dead before his feet with Barakiel covered in their blood. Unfortunately, there was no happiness to be had as he looked upon his wife lifeless body embraced by his crying daughter asking her mother to wake up.

Unfortunately, trouble was still lurking. Outside the shrine, hidden by concealment spells, several unknown people were discussing amongst themselves.

"It seems the jutsusha have failed. Despite giving them Barakiel's coordinates, they couldn't even finish off a helpless girl. How Useless, the lot of them. We should have taken care of this situation ourselves." Said one of them.

"Well it wasn't a total loss. It seems they managed to get rid of that disgraceful women, Shuri. I cannot believe she would dare to soil our clans bloodline with a disgusting fallen angel." Spitted another one revealing that these men were part of the Himejima clan.

"Still, do you think it wise to do this without informing the council. Disgrace though she may be, Shuri was still a member of the Himejima clan." Pondered a female of the group receiving a few nods from her compatriots.

"Bah! The moment she copulated with a fallen angel was the day she turned her back on our clan and while they didn't take any direct action against her, the council also wanted nothing more to do with her. She was basically shunned by her family and no one will miss her save for a few ingrates. In addition, you should not worry about the council for it was our superior who ordered this. Many preparations have been made so this would not be traced back to us. If anything, they will most likely believe that the fallen angel himself got tired of them and disposed of them himself." Another answered, most likely the leader of the bunch.

"It is a shame that those useless jutsusha were unable to dispose of that fallen spawn but they did buy us the necessary amount of time to finish our preparations." He said as another member came out from the bushes to confirm what he just said

"Sir, all the seals are in place. We await only your order to begin."

"Very good. Everyone, get into position! Today is the day we rid ourselves of the Himejima disgrace."

"Yes sir" everyone replied as they all moved to their assigned position ready to begin.

Back inside the house, a brooding Barakiel slowly made his way towards his fallen wife while a sobbing Akeno was trying so desperately to wake up her mother.

"Kaa-san! Noooo Kaa-san, please wake up."

Akeno was… shaking the body of her mother who had already passed away ad was crying out

"…. Shuri …."

Barakiel-san tries to touch his wife with his trembling hands…

"Don't touch her!"

Akeno clashed her anger against her father.

"Why!? Why didn't you stay with Mom!? We always, always waited for Tou-san! If Tou-san was here, then Kaa-sama wouldn't have died!"

Barakiel did not say a word as Akeno continued releasing her anger.

"Those people said this! That Tou-san is a black-angel, and that you are evil! They said that black-angels are bad people! They said that I'm a bad child because I also have black-wings! If Tou-san and I didn't have black-wings, then Kaa-san wouldn't have died! Hate! I hate it! I hate these black wings! I hate you! I hate everyone! I hate them!"

Barakiel couldn't do anything but let his daughter release her frustrations on him. His heart shattered to pieces as his daughter shouted her hatred at him. He couldn't blame her for feeling this way not only because she was a child but because he knew she was right. It was his duty to protect them and when they needed him most, he wasn't there to help them. He had failed them. If only he sensed the danger sooner, he could have made it in time to save his wife. Now, he could do nothing but stare helplessly at his wife's body with tears dripping down his face. Before he could continue mourning, he suddenly felt a hostile presence outside putting him on alert. Are these reinforcements the jutsusha had in reserves or someone else entirely? He didn't know but he would be damned if he would allow anymore harm to come to his family. He lost his wife but he was going to make sure he would protect their daughter.

"Stay inside, Akeno!" he told her as he bolted outside his house stopping at the entrance. He carefully scanned his surroundings trying to pinpoint where the enemy is at while slowly moving forward so as not to be caught off guard. Unfortunately, he was too worried about possible sneak attacks that he failed to recognize that he stepped right into their trap. All of a sudden, a multi-layered barrier surrounded Barakiel who recognized the spell. How could he not when it felt like the same type power his wife uses, it carried the Himejima clan symbol when it appeared. He did not understand what was going on but he would think on it later on. His first priority is do destroy the barrier and protect his daughter from harm. Gathering a large amount of holy lightning, he blasted it at the barrier causing many of the inner layers to break. However, the outer layer held strong to Barakiel's surprise and in an instant, the inner layers that were destroyed quickly repaired themselves. This meant that in order to be free, he would have to generate a large amount of power to completely destroy the barrier in one move. Given enough time, Barakiel could easily accomplish such an act. He wasn't a cadre for nothing; unfortunately, life is never that easy.

He looked down towards his feet and noticed another magic circle surrounding him. At first, he thought it was an attempt to strike him. Surround him with a barrier thus trapping him followed by an unavoidable attack. A sound strategy when taking on a powerful opponent. Unfortunately, he realized too little to late what the circle actually was. His expression turned into one of fear when he noticed that the magic circle was in fact a teleportation circle. Normally, it is possible to cancel or negate a teleportation spell but it requires one to do so the moment it spawns into existence for that is when it is the most vulnerable. Unfortunately, Barakiel was so focused on getting rid of the barrier surrounding him that he failed to notice the spell spawning underneath him in time thus missing his window of opportunity to negate it. His enemy's main strategy was never to take him down but, rather, to take him out of the equation, leaving his daughter vulnerable. Realising the severity of the situation, Barakiel desperately unleashed everything he had, praying it would work. Unfortunately, his lightning wasn't condensed and focused enough to completely annihilate the barrier. He needed time to condense his lightning into powerful burst and unfortunately, his enemies took away that option for him.

Seeing that Barakiel was trapped, the leader revealed a smirk.

"It's time" he said as he took out a small talisman from his pocket and launched it upwards. The talisman caught fire causing to burst into flames. The other members, seeing this, understood that it was the signal to begin the operation. Almost in unison, they each took out a similar talisman as their leaders and begun reciting some unknown chant, most likely a Himejima spell. They then released their talismans, each of them taking a separate position surrounding the shrine. From them spawned a magic circle which started to gather power.

"**Himejima Sacred arts – Lightning Release : Raiton**" they all shouted at the same time as a massive lightning dragon came crashing down on the shrine enveloping it completely and reducing it to ashes.

"NOOO AAKKKEEENNNOOOOOOOOOOOO" Barakiel could do nothing but scream helplessly for his daughter as the shrine was reduced to rubble before the teleportation took him someplace else. It was Issei.

Just as Barakiel disappeared, another figure made his appearance and that person was Issei, who sadly witnessed the entire scene. On his way home, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine feeling that something is wrong. It was then followed by, what he could have sworn was Akeno's voice calling out to him "_Issei!_". Wanting to figure out what was happening, he told his parents that he accidently left something back at Akeno's place and that he was going to get it. Getting their permission, he spawned his wings hoping to make it faster by air rather than by land. No matter how much time passed or how closer he got to the shrine, that sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach would not go away causing unimaginable worry to sprite from Issei as he picked up the pace. After a few minutes, he could see his destination coming to view. From a far, the shrine looked fine and he was able to sense Akeno's presence causing him to let out a small sigh of relief. All of sudden, a massive pillar of lightning formed above the shrine and the next moment the shrine was gone along with any presence of Akeno.

He could not comprehend what just happened. One moment, he was making his way towards the shrine and the next, when he got in sight of it, an immense pillar if lightning suddenly came into being and enveloped the entire shrine. Then, a moment later, everything in sight was gone, the shrine, the surrounding trees, everything. All that was left was a huge crater where everything once stood. He was so out of it that he couldn't even hear Barakiel's cry just before he disappeared.

In the background, one could hear small cracking noises coming from Issei.

The inevitable conclusion that he could no longer deny, Akeno had DIED, right in front of him. His breathing slowly became erratic as his mind slowly shut down, feeling as though a world filled with nothing but darkness surrounded him. In this seemingly empty void, images began to flash in front of them and all of them were images of Akeno

"Issei-san!"

Another crack was heard.

Her smile.

Her expressions.

Her smell.

Her touch.

More cracks were heard.

Everything about of her started springing forth from his memories as he heard a voice similar to his own yelling out the very outcome, he feared with all his soul

"**YOU FAILED HER**."

In that very same moment, the last crack was heard as all the seals placed on him suddenly disappeared as he let out a deafening cry, his voice sounding even deeper then usual

"**AAKKEEEEEENNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**"

A massive explosion of dark crimson aura burst forth from Issei after his sorrowful cry reaching all the way to the sky as if piercing the heavens and causing a massive shockwave around him. The exorcists responsible for this mess did not even have time to understand what was happening when the aura enveloped them incinerating them from existence. Within the aura, a massive 25-foot-tall crimson dragon emerged. The majority of his body was covered with dark, red scales. Issei's lower body, specifically his stomach, the inner portions of his long tail, and legs, are beige in color. Issei also possessed a large scar, located around the center of his body, that he got years ago when fighting the 8-winged devil Valper.

(A/N : I forgot to include this little bit of info in the previous chapter but he did get a large scar on his chest curtesy of Valper)

His back has numerous black spikes, reaching down from the back to the end of his tail. Issei has a triangular head with horns, a pair of large, round red eyes with black sclera and a sharp horn pointing upwards just above his nose. Issei also sports very sharp canine teeth, and has claws with long, sharp, red nails. Growing in his back, Issei possessed four large bony wings with dark outlines and rippled tips.

(Can anyone guess who I modeled him after. If you do, leave it on the review and next chapter I will reveal the answer)

"**RRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!**"

The very earth quaked beneath his rage as the citizens of Kuoh, or even the entirety of Japan, become scared at the sudden earthquake. The sky above Issei seemed to part in two as if even the Heavens above cowers before the chaos caused by Issei's unrivalled power as lighting and thunder came striking down the earth. Strangely enough, the only area unaffected by his massive power was the ruins of the shrine. It seems that, subconsciously, Issei is still trying to protect Akeno's home even in his frenzied state.

The first beings who came unto the scene were, fortunately, Ophis and Great-Red having sensed that something was wrong the moment Issei's seals begun to break and quickly made their way towards him. They were greeted by the sight of a very enraged Issei in his dragon form with a ruined environment all around them, most likely due to Issei's power going out of control. The first to say anything was Ophis who worried out of her mind for her son.

"What the hell happened here? What happened to Issei?" she shouted at Great-red hoping he would have some answer. Unfortunately, Great-red had none to give her as even he had no idea of the events that transpired here. All he knew was that they had to do something about their son before the situation escalates even further and all hell breaks loose, literally.

"**I don't know but there are more pressing matters at the moment to tend to! Right now, we need to get Issei out of here! No doubt many supernatural beings felt his power and are most likely on their way here to see what is going on and, right now we need to help Issei calm down rather than dealing with the nuisances. Open a gate to the dimensional gap and I'll send Issei in there. We will figure out what happened when we finished dealing with this mess**" Ophis nodded as she did exactly what he asked before going in herself. Great-red quickly took position in front of Issei as he launched himself towards his son

"_**Sorry about this Issei**_" he thought as he smashed himself into Issei causing him to roar in pain as he was propelled into the portal leading into the dimensional gap, which closed as soon as they entered.

Moments later, Great-reds predictions came true as multiple magical signatures came into view and, one by one, multiple beings from different religion popped out from the circles.

The first was a handsome man who seems to be in his early 20's. He possesses shoulder length crimson red hair and blue-green eyes. He is Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the devil kings in charge of the underworld and potentially the strongest devil alive.

Alongside him was another man who is Sirzechs childhood friend and is considered to rival Sirzech in strength and is known as a Super devil alongside him. The man also appeared to be in his early 20's but possessed short green hair that was slicked back with light blue eyes. His name was Ajuka Beelzebub, formely belonging to the Astaroth family and the creator of the Evil pieces system that saved their race from extinction.

The third person who accompanied them was none other than Serafall Leviathan or as she liked to call herself "Magical Levia-tan" as she could be seen wearing her magical girl outfit. She is a beautiful woman looking in her late teens with black hair and possesses an incredible figure despite her child-like body.

These 3 people are 3 of the 4 Maou's of the Underworld tasked with leading the Devil Faction. The last one, Falbium Asmodius stayed behind in case something happened and also because he found it to bothersome to leave. Out of all the Maou's, he had a more laid-back attitude.

The next person to show up was a tall man appearing to be in his twenties with an average build, black hair, golden bangs and black goatee. He also possesses twelve jet-black feathered wings that grow out from his back. This was Azazel, the fallen angel leader of Grigori and inventor of many artificial sacred gears.

The next man was similarly one of the leaders of his faction after the death of his father. It was the Seraph Michael, who alongside his siblings Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel took over leadership when their father fell in battle, although this was a very tight secret known only to the upper echelons of the three great factions. He has the appearance of a handsome-looking man with long blond hair and green eyes. Like Azazel, he has twelve wings growing from his back, and unlike other Angels whose wings are white, his wings are colored gold, further symbolizing his position as the former leader. He wears a red robe with a gold cross on the front of his white alb. He has golden shoulder plates with a white sash and a golden halo set above his head. Usually he would be sporting a graceful smile but this time, it was not present on his face illustrating how urgent the situation is.

Alongside him came the aforementioned Gabriel. Gabriel has the appearance of an extremely beautiful woman with curly blonde hair and a voluptuous figure, and is known as the most beautiful woman in Heaven. Like other Seraphs, Gabriel has 12 wings growing from her back. Unlike her brother, she still possessed her beautiful smile embodying her great kindness and innocence. There have been many angels who have fallen from grace from lusting after her. Even in the underworld, she is seen as a true beauty and many devils would trade most of their fortunes to spend a single night with her.

The rest of the Seraphim decided to stay behind in Heaven to fortify their defenses while Michael and Gabriel tried to uncover who was behind that unfathomable power.

Unfortunately, it was not only the leaders of the three factions who felt this unknown power and came to investigate. Many other supernatural factions felt this overwhelming strength and came to investigate regardless of the fact that they would be encroaching on another faction's territory which could initiate war. This showed the importance they placed in figuring out what this potential threat could be. One of these leaders that appeared was Odin who is the chief deity of Norse mythology, Odin has the appearance of an elderly man with long, grey hair, and a matching beard. He wears a gold and white monocle over his left eye, without the addition of the chain. Odin wears a robe, which is short and blue with a gold lining on the top and bottom of the collar, the sleeves of the robe and at the front of his robes all the way down to the bottom of the robe. The rest of his robe is white with matching shoes. Odin also wears a golden and black hat, which is sectioned off into five mini sections that sport either the color black or gold, the top, middle, and bottom is gold and the sections in black are below and above the middle one. Despite being a God, he is extremely perverted and has found companionship with Azazel in that regard, although the rest of his faction including his wife and children are embarrassed at his perverted antics.

The next being to show was a beautiful young woman with a voluptuous figure and very blond hair with matching eyes. She possesses delicate facial features and her eyebrows are cut very short and round a symbol of nobility. Her hair is tied in a loose ponytail, reaching all the way down to her legs that ends in a spiral, with taut bandages to keep it in place. She can be seen wearing a traditional shrine maiden attire, and over that she wore a white coat held closed by a red ribbon and a golden crown. Her defining feature however were the nine tails growing from her tailbone. This was Yasaka, a nine tailed fox and leader of the Youkai.

Accompanying Yasaka, is one of the three Shinto deity, Amaterasu. She is a very beautiful women, comparable to Gabriel and even possesses a certain innocence much like her. She came along to ensure Yasaka's safety in case something went awry. Don't get her wrong, it is not that she does not think Yasaka can't take care of herself. She believes in her strength and she knows that she could most likely take on Serafall head on and most likely come out on top. However, against the likes of Sirzechs and Ajuka who are seen as abnormalities amongst devils as their strength rivals that of even Gods. They aren't called super devils for nothing and against them, Yasaka wouldn't even stand a chance especially if they unleash their true forms. Although the true loss wouldn't just be Yasaka but her unborn child that she is carrying at the moment. Even though it cannot be seen, Yasaka is a few weeks pregnant and is carrying the heir of the Youkai which is why Amaterasu came personally to guard her.

Finally, the last being to appear was someone none of them would have thought would even venture outside his territory. It was Zeus, the god of lightning and the leader of the Greek Pantheon. Zeus is tall, handsome man with blonde hair and bronze eyes. He looks young despite his actual age. He always seems to have a hard expression on his face. His hair is long and he has a goatee that covers most of his face. Zeus was wearing a red and white robe with accents of gold in it. Although, he mostly dresses like to this to show off his wealth and power. Out of all the Gods currently present, he was the strongest, although Sirzechs and Ajuka might be able to take him on in their true forms but only together. Normally, he would never venture outside Olympus, but like the other Gods, he too felt the primal energy radiate even from his domain which illustrates how powerful it really was and deemed it necessary to investigate as a potential threat to Olympus, even going as far as stepping inside devil territory unannounced which could be seen as an act of war. This only serves to prove how seriously he is taking this mysterious entity.

After everyone appeared, Azazel decided to try and break the ice amongst the group.

"I take it, you all came for the same reason as I?"

"It would seem so!" replied Ajuka

"Hey you old geezer, how have you been?" Azazel asked waving enthusiastically at Odin.

"hohoho, I've been doing as good as I could be. Let me tell you, it isn't easy being the chief Norse leader when my own brats keep causing me headaches, except for Baldur he at least is quite considerate." sighed Odin, clearly tired at his sons antics. Between Thor's thrill for battle and Loki's mischief, he had no time to relax.

"hahaha, I feel you! How about I take you to an Oppai-pub. Young girls from my organisation recently opened up a shop in this town for the VIP's recently. It took me forever to get the approval of Sirzechs. I will invite you there then!"" Azazel said trying to cheer the old man up which of course worked.

"Uhohoho! To be expected from Azazel-boy! You sure know your things! Prepare me a big breasted one right away! I'm going to grope many of them!" he said with a perverted grin on his face.

"Follow my lead shitty-geezer! Welcome to Japan! Do you want to untie their kimono obi? That is something you must do at least once when you come to Japan! I will show you the Japanese-style!"

"hoho I can't wait for it indeed." Odin replied. Sirzechs, Ajuka and Michael could do nothing but sigh at their interaction knowing that this is who they were despite the fact that both their factions aren't really allies, their leaders got along well. Amaterasu however started to get a bit annoyed at their antics. This was made clear by the small tick on her forehead.

"Gentleman, I do not believe this is the time nor place to be having such conversation!" she said, her smile ever so present yet her tone was anything but pleasant causing a small chill down Azazel and Odin's spine.

"Buzzkill" they both muttered yet they understood that she was right. Moving his attention to another, Azazel decided to address the elephant in room.

"my my, you are honestly one of the last people I would have ever guessed to come here, Zeus. I can understand Amaterasu and Yasaka's presence here considering that Kuoh is part of japan, thus involved with the Shinto pantheon. Odin is in the process of peaceful negotiations with our factions so his presence here is justifiable. You, however, never really set foot outside of Olympus choosing to let your children deal with outside problems."

"hahaha, you are correct Azazel! That alone speaks volume on how dangerous this unknown entity is. I felt its power all the way from Olympus. It startled even which is why… " he turned towards the devils, specifically Sirzechs "I hope you will forgive my intrusion on your lands, coming by unannounced" bowing his head humbly.

"oya, never thought I'd see modesty coming out of you!" giggled Odin

"watch it you old perv." Zeus stared at Odin. However, before they got at each others throats, Sirzechs intervened.

"It is no trouble at all Zeus-san. I understand that the situation at hand is very troubling and I can understand from your point of view why you would want to investigate." Sirzechs said.

"I have to admit that I'm surprised that you were able to sense the power all the way from Olympus. That would also mean that the other pantheons must have sensed it as well" stated Serafall.

"Hm. I'm pretty sure they did however the Celtics and Egyptian pantheon have always been secretive and elusive. They most likely felt the energy but did not care since it did not occur in their territory. In terms of the Hindu faction, we all know that indra is not interested in anything but taking Shiva. The aforementioned God probably found this turn of events amusing and will most likely not intervene until he wants to." Explained Azazel to which everyone nodded agreeing with it.

"At least it means no one else will suddenly pop up here. We already have a lot to deal with and we do not need anymore distractions." Sirzechs added

"Agreed! Do any of you have any idea what was that enormous power spike and who could have caused it?" asked Michael bringing everyone back to the situation at hand.

No one had an answer to that question, they looked around to see if there was any traces of the person or if there was any possible witnesses or bystanders. However, the area was completely desolate.

"Based on the level of destruction that occurred here, I originally assumed that it was done by a God. However, based on the readings I'm currently scanning, the energy that was released doesn't feel like that of any God. It felt more primal and destructive, like that of a dragon's" remarked Ajuka

Everyone gasped at that remark. Dragons have always been beings of pure power and despite being relatively low in numbers are still beings that instill fear even to Gods. In fact, if you looked at the top 5 strongest beings at the time before the heavenly dragons were sealed, the top 4 would be assigned to Great Red, Ophis, Ddraig and Albion with Shiva taking the last spot as number 5. Yet, even he would fall at the heavenly dragons ultimate breath.

"Although based on the level of destruction caused here, the dragon in question would have to be at least Dragon king level, if not at a heavenly dragon class" remarked Sirzechs.

"hmm, I can guarantee you that it wasn't Midgardsomr. That fellow is still lying at the bottom of the ocean asleep and will not move until Ragnarok begins. I doubt anything would make him move." Odin stated as he stroked his beard.

Ajuka followed after him saying "The same can be said for Tiamat. She is still dwelling within the familiar forest and does not seem to care much for anything else other than any information regarding Ddraig host. As for Tannin…" Ajuka looked towards Sirzechs who simply shacked his head.

"Tannin is very busy taking care of his pack and raising dragon apples. I do not believe he would cause such an incident that would further antagonize people against dragons. Hell, he discarded his pride and became a devil with the sole purpose of saving his kind from extinction so I highly doubt he would cause such devastation knowing the repercussions it would cause to his kind." Everyone nodded accepting his reasoning.

"I can vouch for Fafnir's innocence at this. He is working with me on a special project of mine and hasn't gone missing. Although he is very strong, he is not one to cause such meaningless destruction unless someone went after his treasures. In addition, if he was responsible for the devastation here, we would see a variety of different weapons and sacred treasures left behind; therefore I can definitely conclude that it wasn't him." Azazel further stated his opinion.

"How about Yu-long?" Everyone took a moment to think about but they all came to the same conclusion which was '_No way_". Yu-long is the youngest of the dragon kings so his strength is not in question but rather his personality. He is a lazy dragon who retired after his biggest battle. He might be even lazier than Midargsomr. At least he said he would do something when the end of the world comes but yu-long would most likely complain.

"Hm, it is a miracle that sun wukong is still able to tolerate that guy. I would have lost my temper ages ago" stated Zeus.

"Hohoho, it does not take much to make you lose your temper." Odin told Zeus which caused Zeus to glare at him but before he could start anything Azazel quickly intervened by moving forth with the conversation.

"The last one, Vritra has been sealed a long ago after his defeat to Indra so it definitely wasn't him however, I highly doubt even a dragon king could have caused this. The land and its surrounding have been reduced to ash. The level of power needed to accomplish this must have been great, at least God class or I even dare say, this being holds power equivalent to a heavenly dragon." Explained Ajuka.

"WHAT, a heavenly dragon? Have Ddraig and Albion been released from their sacred gears?" shouted Zeus. As strong as Zeus is, even he knows his limits and how outmatched he would be against either Ddraig or Albion. Everyone, except Azazel who already knew the answer to this question, turned their attention to Michael as if asking him the very same question but he simply shacked his head.

"No, according to the sacred gear system, Ddraig and Albion are still locked within the Boosted Gear and Divide Dividing gear respectively so I can assure you it was not them." He stated with his traditional smile relieving everyone's worry. Although this brought forth an entire new possibility that sent chills down their spine. Sirzechs voiced it himself

"If it is not them then we have to assume that it another dragon that possesses at the very least strength equivalent to that of Ddraig and Albion! Any ideas?" he worriedly stated. This was not a pleasant theory should it be true. He alongside his fellow faction leaders could still recall the battle they had against the fearsome beasts of destruction. It took the combined might of all three great factions alongside the God of the Bible and the original 4 devil kings to take on the two dragons. Even though they won in the end, sealing the 2 two dragons in sacred gears, the casualties suffered were astronomical. Millions of angels, fallen angels and devils died in this conflict alone and many more were injured, including God and the four original devil kings, and could not fight anymore. The mere thought of having to fight another dragon at that level terrified every leader present. Odin put forth his own thoughts while stroking his beard

"How about the Evil Dragons then? They certainly have the audacity and strength to cause this amount of destruction."

"I had originally thought about it but the only evil dragons that I could think of that could cause this would be Apophis the Eclipse Dragon, Azi Dahaka, the Diabolism Thousand Dragon or Crom Cruach, the Crescent Circle Dragon, the strongest evil dragons known to exist. However, Apophis had been defeated centuries ago. Aži Dahāka fought against the army of the Gods of the Zoroastrianism then was defeated by the hero, Θraētaona, and later sealed. Finally, Crom Cruach disappeared after the Evil God Balor was defeated by Lugh. Since no one has heard of him, it is presumed that he is either dead or sealed like the others." explained Ajuka as he expressed his opinion on the matter.

Gabriel added her own two cents on the matter "In addition, even though the surrounding environments were destroyed, there have no reports of any casualties in Kuoh. It seems as though whoever did this made sure not to harm the citizens. This is not the typical actions of an evil dragon who do not care about innocent lives."

"very true, although that still does not eliminate the possibility that it could have been some other evil dragon." Added Amaterasu who was looking at Yasaka when she said it. Yasaka lowered her head in sadness, understanding who she was talking about although the rest of them didn't notice.

Ajuka could see Azazel contemplating something and decided to ask him about it.

"Do you have some other guess as to who might be responsible for this, Azazel?". Everyone turned their attention to Azazel who sighed.

"I do, but I'm hoping to be wrong in this case as it would be the absolute worst-case scenario." He stated causing his peers to raise an eyebrow in worry, wondering who he could be talking about. The only one who seemed to divine who Azazel was thinking about was Ajuka.

"You don't think it's…" he shuddered as he received a nod confirming his fear.

"Aye, there is a possibility that it could have been Ophis!" stated Azazel surprising everyone leaving an air of fear in the atmosphere

"OPHIS! Have you gone mad Azazel! Why in Hell would Ophis even bother attacking such a remote location as this. If I am not mistaken, Ophis has not been seen for the past nine years or so, so why would she suddenly reappear and attack a random location owned by the devils. Unless, of course, they did something to stir her ire." Zeus shouted.

"I can assure all of you that we did no such thing and would not even dream to cause such a conflict" responded Sirzechs to Zeus accusation

"Let's calm down! There is no point in fighting amongst one another when all of this is simply speculations on Azazel's part." Michael said getting in between the two leaders, succeeding in calming them down

"In other words, we are no closer to figuring out who did this" Zeus commented.

It was Serafall who decided to answer his query. "Unfortunately, not, however we will begin issuing a full investigation to figure out who or what caused this. After all, we cannot let little Rias-chan occupy a dangerous territory" she winked at Sirzechs when she said that and he answered with a thankful smile as she continued on "also my little Sona-tan is interested in coming to school here so her big sister Magical Levia-tan will sparkle and make all dangers go away" waving her wand for extra emphasis, she went from serious to playful in one go which at least relaxed the tense atmosphere going on.

"I can provide you some aid with your investigation. This being could pose a potential threat to not only the devil's faction but to ours as well so I would like to assist in any way I can." Azazel told the Maous.

"We, the Seraphs, would also like to help you as well. We currently have a ceasefire amongst our factions but this could be the first step to achieve peace between us." Michael added.

"Thank you, Azazel and Michael. We will accept your aid." Sirzechs thanked them with a small bow.

This time, Yasaka stepped forward to ask "Forgive me for imposing lord Sirzechs but would it be troublesome to ask you to keep me and Lady Amaterasu informed of any progress in your investigation? I would be very grateful for this favor and if you wish, we can also provide a bit of assistance." She said bowing towards the Maous which was then followed by Amaterasu doing the same thing

"I ask the very same from you. If you would be so kind as to keep us informed, we would be grateful."

"It is no problem whatsoever Yasaka, Amaterasu-san. We understand that this being may be a potential threat to not only our three factions but to the rest as well, therefore; it is only naturel that you would wish to know who did this. Serafall will be in charge of the investigation and will relay any progress we have made. We will also keep the Norse Faction and Olympus informed as a show of good will. Azazel, can you please keep Odin informed of any progress and may I ask you Michael and Gabriel to do the same with Olympus." Sirzechs asked his fellow leaders.

"Sure no problem. I'll keep this old geezer informed." Azazel answered pointing at Odin.

"It would be my pleasure" said Michael.

"Same here. It has been a while since I last talked to Hera-san, Artemis and Athena. I cannot wait to see them again." Gabriel followed up after Michael, excited at the prospect of seeing her friends again although her remark caught Zeus by surprise.

"You met with my wife and daughters? What did you talk about" Zeus was a bit unnerved at the fact that his wife and daughter may have spilled some unnecessary information about Olympus or even worse talking about him so he tried to divine some information out of Gabriel. However, Gabriel simply giggled and place a single finger on her lips

"Sorry, it's a se-cr-et!"

Zeus, understanding he will get nothing decided it was time to go back home as matters were settled.

"Very well, I guess I will go back home and explain to my faction what has occurred here. I will wait for your report Seraph Michael and Gabriel." They both nodded and Zeus disappeared after that. Odin, Yasaka and Amaterasu left soon afterwards leaving only the three faction leaders by themselves

"I will start coordinating our forces to begin an investigation as soon as possible. I will also let them know that they will be working alongside fallen angels and angels and not cause any unnecessary conflicts. Although, it will take some time to get used to it." Serafall stated.

"very well, I will notify my group and let them know of our collaborated effort. The leader of the investigation group will be Penemue-san and since this is devil territory, I will let her know that she has to abide by your instructions, Serafall but she is exemplary worker and I have no doubt you two will work fine together." Azazel told her. Michael followed soon after

"And I will send my brother Raphael to aid you. He is a very smart and a meticulous individual so he might pick on things that others may have missed."

"very well, once more I wish to thank you all for the aid you are providing and hope this is a start for the peace, we all desire. Hopefully, this unknown individual isn't a threat. I would much rather have him as an ally but all we can do is hope the investigation bares fruit and reveals the information we require." Finished Sirzechs as everyone nodded and teleported back to their homes, all of them ignorant of what transpired during their conversation.

(In the Dimensional Gap, 30 minutes ago)

While the leaders of each factions were busy talking to one another, a portal opened up in the dimensional gap where a large crimson dragon was sent spiraling through. Regaining his bearing Issei used his wings to re-balance himself and from his expression, you could tell that he was enraged at being tossed aside. With an enormous burst of speed, unbefitting his size, he slashed at his father with his claw. Great-red, not expecting this speed from his son, could do nothing but raise his arms to guard. Unfortunately, his human form did not provide as much defense as his dragon form as blood spurted out of his arms from Issei's slash. Luckily it was a minor wound, for Great-red at least, and his regenerative abilities healed him up very fast leaving only a few scars in its place. Having gained distance from his enemy, Issei began to charge up a roar and fired it towards great red who immediately retaliated with his own. Both attacks collided with each other, causing a massive explosion blocking each other view of one another. However, Issei took advantage of this as he appeared through the smoke rearing his fist backwards engulfing it in crimson flames swinging it towards his father. This time however, Great-red had enough time to harden his entire body in scales and crossed his arms ready to take the attack. Yet, when Issei's attack struck him, he felt an incredible amount of pain in his stomach as he was blasted backwards a great deal. It appears as though his sons attack not only pierced through his guard but the fire even managed to cause damage to his stomach. Regaining his bearings, he looked over himself to check the damage and he saw his arms were scorched leaking a lot of blood and his stomach was also charred by Issei's crimson flame. He was incredibly surprised. It seems those flames of his were a manifestation of his son's limitless potential and strength. Even though this was not the time or place, he could not help but feel overwhelming pride at how powerful his son really is. "_that's my boy!_" he thought to himself. Not even the feared ultimate attacks of Ddraig and Albion, said to be able to reduce even a God to ash, was able to even scratch him and yet here was his son, barely even 10 years old, displaying strength that far surpasses that of the heavenly dragons despite being a youngling himself. Unfortunately, his son did not give him time to relax as he dived forward towards him once more. They started trading blows with one another with Great-red taking the major bulk of the damage between them. This was due to two reasons. The first is, as stated previously, his flames are able to penetrate through his defenses and cause him severe damage so he has no choice but to evade or dodge Issei's strikes completely since even a mere graze causes moderate pain. The second reason is that Great-red is holding back as he does not wish to kill his son, simply incapacitate him but Issei is not holding back one bit. Great-red understood that his options were very limited to defeat his son in the state he is. He considered at one point to transform into his dragon form to overpower Issei but his son's flames rendered that idea useless. All it would do was give Issei a bigger target to hit and he would not be able to deal with his son's speed so he remained in human form. This left only one option and that is to get Ophis help to stop their son but he knew it would be difficult

"**Ophis, I know this is going to sound impossible, but I need your help to stop our son.**"

"Are you out of your mind! There is no way I can hurt my little boy. I… I can't do this" Ophis told him trying so desperately not to cry at the situation they are in. Knowing that time was of the essence, he could not afford to start arguing with her so he shouted to get his point across.

"**OPHIS, IF WE DO NOT DO SOMETHING SOON, THEN ISSEI WILL DIE." **Seeing that this caught her attention he decided to continue albeit in a less violent tone** "Issei's body is not yet strong enough to hold the massive power he holds within him. That is the reason why we placed many layers of seals on him. You know this. But now, with the seals removed his body is slowly breaking apart. Even now, our son's body is slowly taking damage from his own power.**" She shifted her attention from her husband to her son and could immediately tell that he was right. There were small fractures all across his body and more were appearing by the second. His body could still not withstand the overwhelming power he possesses. "**If we do not do something soon, then Issei's body will implode upon itself and he will die. I know very well how painful the mere idea of hurting him is. DO you think I want to do this to my own son? Every single hit I inflict on him causes my heart to break in pieces and through our scuffle, I can tell that, for whatever reason, Issei is suffering greatly. However, at this moment, this is the only means of saving him so please Ophis, help me save our son.**"

Seeing Issei's state and knowing that her husband's claim was right, she tried to muster as much courage as possible to do the unthinkable. She would most likely be devastated but at the very least, their son would be alive and, at this very moment, that is all that she wants.

"Very well, for the sake of our son, I will help you but we need to make this quick. I simply cannot bare to inflict to much harm to Issei." She told him and he simply nodded agreeing with her statement. It isn't easy for him as well and finishing this as soon as possible is the most viable plan. All of a sudden

"**RRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!**"

They turned their attention towards Issei who was responsible for the roar and they saw him began to gather massive amount of energy towards his mouth. It seems he was preparing to unleash a devastating roar; nevertheless, Great-red could tell that he was aiming to finish things as the amount of power is far larger in this attack than it was in the previous breath. However, this also means that time is running out for Issei.

"Looks like Issei is planning to finish this with one massive attack. We will need to combine our powers together in order to counter his. We need to finish this quickly as Issei's body will no longer be able to sustain the massive power building within himself and eventually self-destruct." Great-red stated to Ophis who simply nodded as both dragons gathered massive amount of energy into their hands for the final assault. Having finished gathering his power, Issei unleashed his most devastating roar up to date towards his parents who unleashed their own attack simultaneously as both their power melded together to form one massive wave. Both attacks collided with one another causing multiple shockwaves reverberating throughout the dimensional gap as both attacks struggled to gain dominance over the other. For a moment, both sides were at a deadlock until one side was slowly giving way. Issei could feel his attack slowly being overpowered so he tried to gush out even more power from his being despite the fact that his body was literally shredding itself apart the more he did so; however, his rage clouded his rationality. Seeing his body near its limits both Great-red and Ophis knew they had to finish this now, so with one final push they unleashed everything they had. With the added force from both dragon gods, Issei's attack started getting slowly overpowered as their combined might was making its way towards him until, finally Issei's breath attack dissipated and he was enveloped by his parent's assault.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**"

He let out one final painful scream before a massive explosion erupted which could be felt throughout the dimensional gap. Ophis and Great-red were seen breathing heavily. This was the first time in their life that they ever had to fight seriously. Add on the fact that they had to fight against their own son, their mental exhaustion was beyond normal. They were praying that the fight was over as they could not bear to hurt their son any longer and that was especially true for Ophis who couldn't bear this any longer. As the dust settled, they could see the shadow of a small figure through the smoke. Eventually, it cleared out and revealed an unconscious Issei drifting aimlessly.

"ISSEI" "**ISSEI**"

Both of them shouted at the same time and dashed towards him. After reaching him, Ophis quickly scooped him up in her arms to check if he was even alive. Luckily, she could feel him breathing however, one good look was able to determine that his body was anything but OK. He had many bleeding cuts all over his body, a few bruises courtesy of his fight with her husband and the worst part were both his arms that were completely broken. He must have used them at the last second to protect himself against their combined assault. Ophis quickly began to use her powers to heal him as much as possible but she could not stop the tears from falling off her beautiful face over the sad state her son was presently in. Great-red voiced her inner thoughts out loud.

"**Thank the heavens he is alive**." breathing out a huge sight of relief that his son made it out alive however looking over Issei current state was anything but pleasant as he continued speaking "and not a moment too soon. If the fight had lasted any longer, his body would not have survived the influx of power within himself and Issei would no longer be with us. "_And not a moment too soon_" he thought to himself. However, now that the current crisis has been dealt with, Great-red tried to process how all of this came about. He started recalling every single detail since the moment of Issei departure till now. Eventually, he came upon a realization about the location they found their son in. At the time, he was too preoccupied to get his son out of there to even think about where they were, but, now that he is in a calmer state of mind, he recognized that the place they teleported too was Barakiel's shrine which only gave way to very grim thoughts.

The only way to figure out the truth was to contact Barakiel and find out. He conjured a telepathic link towards Barakiel and waited for him to pick up. A few moments later, the signal connected

"**Barakiel, do you have a moment**?"

"… Red-san…" he answered back albeit in a sad state

His voice sounded incredibly distraught which was already a very bad sign.

"**What's going on Barakiel, you sound distraught?**" worried Great-red.

"They're gone Red…" wailed Barakiel.

"**What do you mean? Who is gone?**" he asked however fearing he already knew the answer given everything that he understood but still praying for the slim chance that he was wrong. Once again, reality proves to be a cruel mistress.

"Shuri… and Akeno. Somehow, jutsusha figured out our location and… while I was gone, they… killed my wife. I was able to kill them before they moved on to my daughter before I felt an ominous presence outside which turned out to be a trap from Himejima clan. Trapped in a barrier, I could do nothing but watch as… lighting came down and decimated my home along with… Akeno." Cried Barakiel.

"**No… it can't be**."

"I failed them Red… I couldn't protect them…"

"**I can't believe this… but this does explain what happened with Issei**" Great-red said.

"Issei?" at the mention of him, Barakiel quickly showed concern "What happened? Is he OK?" Despite having recently lost his family, he was still able to show concern over Issei's well being which honestly touched Great-reds heart.

"**Unfortunately, not! On our way home, Issei said that he left something at your place and left to get it. Moments later, Ophis and I felt Issei's power spiral out of control. We quickly teleported to his location only find him, in his dragon form, rampaging with intense rage. Knowing that other supernatural beings would come by, we forced Issei into the dimensional gap where we had no choice but to knock him unconscious which we managed to do. I didn't understand what led to this which is why I called you but with what you just told me, it stands to reason that Issei witnessed Akeno's demise which sent him over the edge… Damn it, how could this have happened?**" he said barely able to contain his sadness which Barakiel could sense.

"So that colossal energy I felt was from Issei!" Barakiel was surprised at the revelation before reverting back to sadness as he understood that Issei went through a terrible ordeal.

"Take care of Issei Red. He needs you now more than ever. A young man like him should have never gone through what he just did."

"**Yeah… I know. Take care of yourself Barakiel**." Great-red said to him

"You too Red!" responded Barakiel before he ended his call.

After finishing his conversation with Barakiel, he hung up his telepathic connection thinking about everything he just heard. He still could not believe all that has transpired and that Akeno and Shuri were gone. His son's rage suddenly made a lot of sense. He felt extreme rage over what happened to his friend's family which then gave way to sadness as he felt extremely bad for Barakiel and can't even begin to imagine his sadness at losing his entire family in one day. He then remembers a promise he made some years ago to help his family in their time of need and yet now it seems he failed to keep that promise. He clenched his fists so hard that a few drops of blood could be seen dripping out his hand. He was not only angry at the situation but also towards himself for being so useless when they needed him most.

For the first time since his existence, the most powerful being in existence felt… powerless. A thought that was most likely shared by his wife as she holds on to the unconscious Issei for dear life. He needed to unleash his frustrations in the dimensional gap, for he knew that if he did it in the human world, japan would most likely have perished with his outburst. So, he transformed back into his dragon form and unleashed his emotions in the form of a mighty roar

"**RRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!**"

His roar reverberated across the dimensional gap expressing his anger and his sorrow as tears started leaking from his eyes. After a few moments, his roar stopped as he regained his human form and moved towards his wife. Seeing him come forward, she looked towards him, eyes all red from all the crying she did and asked him

"Wha… What happened?". Ophis needed to know and understand what had happened that led her son into the state he was currently in. She knew it was really bad considering the outburst Great-red went through and he is usually the more calm one of the two. With great anguish, he recounted everything he heard from Barakiel from the time he returned to the present moment. To say she was shocked was an understatement. She moved her hand to cover her face as fresh tears started dripping from her face again

"No… Shuri… and even Akeno. H How…can this… be?." she doesn't want to believe that such a thing has occurred.

"How could we have let this happen to Issei not once, but twice. We are supposed to be his parents and protect him from shit like this and yet, we failed him when he needed us most. What kind of a horrible mother am I to allow such a thing? I'm so sorry Issei" she sobbed looking at Issei. Seeing this, Great-red quickly embraced her and rubbed her back to try and comfort her.

"**No, don't blame yourself for any of this. It is not your fault! If anything, the blame is mine to bear, for it is the responsibility of the father to ensure his family's well being and safety and I failed at both it seems**" He grimly said causing Ophis to look up and see her husband's sorrow at his own uselessness, slowly raising her hand towards his face and giving him a gentle rub, silently trying to console him which allowed Great-red to form a smile. He then turned his attention towards Issei

"**The problem now is how are we going to comfort our son**."

"What do you mean?" questioned Ophis although she probably knew the answer to her question but Great red answered it anyways

"**You know, as well as I do, how much he cared about Akeno. She is his first love and they would most likely have become mates in the future. Even though it isn't his fault, knowing him, he will probably blame himself for failing to protect her**" He looked at his unconscious son solemnlyand continued

"**hmf, this situation is laughable! Barakiel-san has just lost his family, and is most likely suffering by himself. Issei is probably just as devastated as him having lost the love of his life and I cannot think or do a single thing to help him." **Tears slowly started dripping from his face as he continued speaking** "Many beings fear me for the strength I possess and even proclaim me as the strongest being and yet what good is all this power when it fails to be of use whenever it matters most. My friends and family are suffering and I CANT DO ANYTHING**!." He shouted the last part as the dam broke again and started crying once more. Seeing her husband cry broke her heart so she did the only thing she could think of to console him. She brought his face forward and kissed him tenderly square on the lips surprising Great-red greatly returning the kiss as his emotions slowly calmed down having the desired effect Ophis wanted. As their lips parted. Ophis looked straight into his eyes with a few tears visible on her face as well and said

"The only thing we can do for Issei right now is support him with everything we have. We cannot change the past and despite how devastated we feel for failing our son not once but twice, there is nothing we can do but move forward. What we can do, and should do, is ensure that something like this never happens again on our watch."

Great-red smiled at her, thankful for her support as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it a bit.

"**Thanks, Ophis. I really appreciate this. You really are the best mate a dragon could ever hope for**" he said causing Ophis to display a light blush but grateful that he was cheering up a bit. As much as she hated to admit it, she loved his obnoxious attitude full of life and energy so seeing him in sorrow felt wrong.

Suddenly, Ophis felt Issei rustle in her hands meaning that he was about to wake up. His eyes slowly began to open and held his head as if he had the biggest migraine ever. Not surprising considering that he had to be taken down by his parents. He scanned his surroundings and saw that he was with his parents but, instead of Kuoh, they were back in their original home, the dimensional gap and he had no idea how they ended up there.

"mom… dad, what is this? What happened?" he started to ask when all of a sudden, his memories began to resurface on the tragedy he saw occur right before his eyes. Akeno and Aunty Shuri were gone and he was powerless to do anything. His emotions shifted from confusion to sadness as he began crying in his mothers arms.

"n n no no no no, this cannot be. Aunty Shuri and Akeno can't be gone" Ophis was simply devastated seeing the state her son was in and could do nothing but embrace him as much as she could even though it would not take the pain away as Issei continued sobbing in her chest. He then went from self-denial to self-loathing.

"I failed them. I failed Akeno. I promised… promised to protect her from harm and yet when she needed me the most, I was powerless to do anything." He slowly recalled the times he promised himself he would grow up to become a splendid dragon like his parents and how he had promised Akeno to always protect her, "ughh I'm a failure of a dragon, I'm a failure as a friend. Akeno-chan, I'm so so sorry" he kept repeating the same apologises over and over.

"Look at me Issei!" Ophis said as she lifted her sons chin so he could look at her in the eyes.

"You should not feel guilty over events that were beyond your control. What happened today was not your fault, nor Barakiel's nor anybody. It is the actions of very bad man that caused this tragedy and all blame lies with them, not you. Plus from what your father told me, it would seem that in your rage, you wiped out the assailants responsible for killing Akeno so, although this will not bring them back, you did manage to avenge them so please… stop blaming yourself for something that is clearly not your fault. You know that Shuri and Akeno would want you to live your life moving forward." Saying the last part with tears dripping down her face.

"**Your mother is right son. This tragedy is in no ways your fault but we must all move on. We will always cherish the precious memories we built together with them and as along as that exists, they will always be with us, in our dreams and in our hearts.**" Added Great-red looking at his son who in turn listened, knowing deep in his heart that they were right so he released everything.

"ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" he unleashed all his suffering, crying loudly clutching at his mother's chest. She in turn embraced him with as much tenderness and love as she could, while also letting out tears of sadness. Great-red moved forward and embraced both his wife and his son as they all mourned the loss of their closest friends and family.

Minutes passed by and eventually, the crying and sobbing calmed down as Issei separated from his mother's and father's embrace.

" '_sniff_'… I… I want to get stronger." He said looking at his parents who were taken by surprise by his sudden declaration. Nevertheless, he continued

"I want to gain the strength to be able to protect those I care for… so that something like this never happens again… so that I never have to feel… so useless ever again." he told them with clear grief in his voice yet his eyes were filled with absolute determination to get stronger.

"**That's my boy!**" smirked his father as he rubbed his son's head while his mother finally let out a smile, happy at the interaction between father and son.

"Alright, I guess it is time to return home" Ophis said as she was starting to get ready to go back only to be stopped by Great-red who shacked his head.

"**Unfortunately, that is not the best idea at the present moment**." He said. Ophis tilted her head a bit not understanding why they could not go back, causing Great-red to chuckle at the adorable gesture his wife did before explaining his reason

"**Before we entered the dimensional gap, I sensed the presence of multiple signatures heading towards the shrine. As a result of Issei's outburst, the factions must have sent people to investigate the commotion and from what I sensed, I can safely deduce that they were in fact leaders of their respective faction. They will most likely put Kuoh under tight supervision which is why that, at the present moment, it is not a good idea to return there. Right now, they are in a state of high alert so any form of magic, no matter how small, will alert them to our presence and at the moment, I do wish to enter an unnecessary conflict with them. So, for now, we will be moving to another location.**" Explained Great-red

"I understand but then where will we live? Are we going to remain here in the dimensional gap?" she asked her husband who grabbed his chin thinking about her question. After a few moments of thinking, he came up with an answer.

"**After some thought, I believe we should head to Tannin's territory.**"

"Tannin's territory? Didn't we previously agree that it might be too risky to live there due to the possibility of exposure? Although Issei has grown up, I do not want him in any more danger." She asked Great-red who answered

"**After what happened today, neither do I and make no mistake, I will make sure that it never happens again but that is beside the point**. **Back then, our primary concern was the development of Issei's social skills which was why we selected a human city. Granted, it did not turn out the way we hoped but thanks to his interactions with Akeno, everything turned out well.**"

"**The second reason coincides with recent events. Issei's little rampage might have brought us an unexpected benefit" Ophis had question marks on top of her head, not understand how it is possible as Great-red continued "Due to the amount of devastation caused by Issei, the devils will most likely issue an investigation to figure out what caused such destruction. They, most likely, have figured out that only a being of great power was responsible for this and thus is a threat to their faction. This will cause them to employ much of their resources and attention into the city giving us a better chance to remain hidden in Tannin's territory. In addition, from what Barakiel told me years ago, the fallen angels, devil and angels have been vying for peace together so, there is a big chance that they will send additional resources and manpower to aid the devils meaning we do not have to worry about them either**." Explained Great-red to Ophis who now understood his point of view and had to acknowledge the validity of his statement.

"**The final reason is for Issei's sake. As much as it embarrasses me to admit it, Tannin is a far better trainer than either you or I. He has spent most of his time training other younglings to be the best they can be and therefore is the most qualified to train Issei since, let's face it, neither you nor I ever trained a single day in our lives. We were born powerful, two of the most powerful beings in existence without doing a single thing. As a result, we would not be able to train Issei in an efficient manner compared to Tannin. Furthermore, being introduced to the dragon community, Issei will be able to make tons of new friends who will not shun him for his power. Right now, after everything that has happened, I believe that he will need this now more than ever**" He told his wife who simply nodded.

"However, will he allow us to reside in his territory. It is my understanding that he was reincarnated into a devil. Won't he alert the devils of our presence?" Ophis asked her husband who immediately answered

"**No, I don't think so. Tannin's primary objection is, and always has been, the survival of the dragon's race. In fact, the only reason he even discarded his pride, which is something extremely difficult for any dragon to do, and turned into a devil was so that he could claim the underworld territory that contained the last known batch of Dragon Apples and ensure the survival of our species that depended on those fruits to survive. So no, he would not turn us over to the devils and if we explain the current circumstances, I'm pretty sure he will accommodate us. He is one of the more reasonable dragons that exist today**." Great-red said with absolute certainty so Ophis decided to trust in her husband judgement just as she had done over the years.

"alright, then it is settled. Are you ready Issei?" she said shifting her attention to her son who remained quiet during that entire conversation, nodded vigorously at her question.

"Yes mom. I will train myself to the bone and I will definitely become stronger. Strong enough to protect my loved ones including the both of you. Just watch me." Issei stated revealing a bright smile that his parents missed so so much and were not sure they would ever see again causing both of them to beam with happiness.

"**That's the spirit son. Let us go then. It is the start of a brand-new journey**." His father said as he started applying his magic to teleport them to their destination.

With renewed determination and a new goal in mind, Issei took the first step towards the future as he looked up to the sky with a passing thought

'_Please watch over me aunty Shuri and Akeno. I vow to you that I will become stronger so that such tragedy will never fall to anyone else I care about. I will always remember the treasured moments we have had together as I move forward so you don't need to worry about me. I hope you may both rest in peace, wherever you are._'

**CHAPTER DONE**

**Alright, before you all murder me, Akeno is not dead. However, her 'death' was necessary for Issei's development. How did she survive the blast? Well, I'm sure everyone can use their imagination. I mean if Issei and Vali could survive the Dragon Eater Samael, then honestly anything is possible. LOL**

**Besides you really think I'm going to remove her after all the work I did to develop their relationship. Hell no!**

**By the way, Issei will have a harem, otherwise it is not dxd, BUT it will be small harem because I am not good with too many characters. At the present moment I have 3 lock-ins for candidates including Akeno. I'm also considering a 4****th**** because I thought it would be cool to add her.**

**Before anyone asks, Rias is NOT going to be part of the harem. Do not get me wrong, I love Rias but she is practically in every harem story involving Issei that I read and I wished to do something different. Besides, Rias belongs with the Red dragon Emperor which will make an appearance in the story.**

**If anyone wishes to guess who is in Issei's harem, please feel free to do so in the reviews or message me your response and I'll see if anyone got it right.**

**A reminder, if some people didn't read the top part, This was the final chapter before we move on to the cannon timeline.**

**Over and out, I'll see you all next chapter **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Hello my fellow readers. Sorry for the long wait but as usual I had a lot of work to do and recently my grandmother has been very sick so part of my time is delegated to taking care of her which gave me even less time to work on my story. Thankfully, iw as finally able to squeeze a bit of time and actually managed to write a 10k chapter which honestly surprised me. Although it will still probably have some grammar issue so forgive me for that.**

**Unto another point, I would like to thank you all for all the reviews you've all given me. The fact that you all are willing to take a moment of your time and either show an appreciation to my story or even give me some advice makes me really happy. My story has over 300 followers and favorites. I never imagined I would have so many. Bless you all.**

**Some of my readers have even messaged me that I have over estimated the strength of the heavenly dragons in the previous chapter stating that Shiva is in fact stronger than them considering he was the trump card against Trihezna in the series. And now that I think about rationally, they are absolutely right. He was called upon as a last resort against the apocalypse beast, a being that even the 2 heavenly dragons admitted to being powerless against, and he is seen as one of the strongest living God present in the series. It's true that the heavenly dragons breath can kill any god that makes contact with it but the same can be said about Shiva. One hit from his power could also kill the heavenly dragons. Hell, now that I think about even the God of the Bible is stronger than both of them. He not only used thousands of forbidden seals to seal the almighty beast but he also, in his weakened state participated in the Great war and faced fallen angels, devils and the heavenly dragons and yet, was still able to kill the 4 maous and seal both Ddraig and albion in sacred gears before dying. **

**Dammit! The fallen angels and devils should worship Trihexna because if it weren't for it, the war would have definitely been won by the angels if the almighty father was at full strength. Anyways, the reason I put draig and albion as the strongest was simply because of my love for dragons and also due to the fact that in the series, he took on Tyr and other gods by himself and defeated them easily while calling himself rusty so it may have influenced my judgement… a bit. Lol don't blame me **

**So, in light of recent discoveries, here is what I believe would be the current list of strongest beings**

_**1) Ophis, Great-red, Trihexna**_

_**2) Shiva and God Of the Bible**_

_**3) Brahma and Vishnu (I believe they were stated to be just a bit weaker than Shiva, not sure)**_

_**4) Indra (giving him the benefit of the doubt that he might be stronger than the heavenly dragons just because the dragons have been sealed for a long time and he had been training to take on Shiva)**_

_**5) The heavenly dragons, Crom Cruash**_

_**6) Thor, God of lightning**_

_**7) Sirzechs in his true form alongside Ajuka**_

_**8) Tyr**_

_**9) Hades, god of death (If I am not mistaken, he's been seen as the strongest of his brothers)**_

_**10) Fenrir (wasn't sure for number 10)**_

**This is the list I currently have for the 10 strongest beings. If you guys believe a change should be made then please go ahead and either place in the review or pm me with an explanation. You can even add other gods that were not mentioned in the list.**

**Anyways, I wasted enough of your time. This chapter will mostly talk about what Issei has gone through during the timeline as we head into canon timeline. It will also reveal a list of abilities he's acquired but not all. I want to keep a few to be a surprise. LIKE THEY SAY ON WITH SHOW and I hope you enjoy my latest creation.**

In the city of Kuoh, we find our main protagonist Issei walking towards his intended destination. 8 years have been since the day that tragedy struck them and had taken away Shuri and Akeno life. In that time, a lot of things have changed, the most obvious one being Issei. He has now become a 17-year-old man who's but a mere shadow of his former self. Following all his training with Tannin and his parents, he has acquired such a muscular and toned build that he has practically become chiseled. A literal Adonis is what some of the female drakes back in Tannin's territory called him and no doubt so will any female and they would not be wrong. His biceps were big, his shoulders were broad and every other muscle has developed accordingly, yet he was not as bulky as a body builder. Adding to the fact that he stands at 185 cm tall, gave him an intimidating presence that no one would want to go up against. Yet, the bright smile he wears, in contrast to his build, gave him a small air of innocence that one would not expect from a man like him. Although his physique has changed a great deal compared to the past, not much else has changed. Granted his appearance did change a bit having short spiky black hair with crimson outlines. His two reptilian eyes having red sclera with vertically slatted black pupils currently disguised through magic revealing only golden eyes. Issei didn't like hiding his features from the world since he was very proud of who he was but he understood that it would cause panic not only with the general populace who were just humans but also might raise some unwanted issues with the devils currently occupying this town and the last thing he needed right now was unwanted attention. He promised his parents to keep a low profile and avoid unnecessary attention and that is exactly what he'll do, if anything then to keep them from worrying about him. It has been over eight years since the incident and the situation in Kuoh has calmed down enough to allow issei and his parents to return to their old home. Although, many dragons, most especially the younglings who grew up alongside Issei, didn't want them to leave pleading for them to stay. However, they eventually conceded when Issei explained to them the reason he is going back. It is not because he does not consider the dragon territory his home. That is far from the truth. The amazing years he spent here alongside everyone turned this place into another home that he loves with all his heart and considers every resident a second family which touched their hearts. Yet, the reason he wishes to return to Kuoh is due to the fact that it is the place holds significant memories of his time with Akeno and Shuri. It is the only place where he is able to feel some type of connection to the woman he loved and to his aunt who took care of him. Thus, with much reluctance but understanding, everyone wished them a safe journey back.

"It has been a long time since I've been here" he said looking up at the sky reminiscing about old times. A lot of things have occurred over the past 8 years since the incident. He let out a small chuckle when he recalled uncle Tannin's reaction to the fact that not only were Ophis and Great red married but also had a son together

_Flashback_

_After travelling to the Underworld, Issei, and his parents stealthily made their way to the dragon's territory governed by Tannin. On the way there, Issei could not help but notice the differences between Earth and the Underworld, more specifically how the sky itself is purple instead of blue. There was even an artificially created moon. Apparently, according to what his uncle stated, they created it for the sake of newly reincarnated devils which was very nice despite the fact that they are devils._

"_I still prefer the sky back on earth" he thought to himself. Despite saying that, you could tell by his expression how excited he was to be able to visit albeit discreetly a brand-new place, taking in the surrounding environment spotting the differences between here and earth. Unfortunately, his excitement soon turned into sorrow when he thought about how he wished that he could share this view with Akeno, reminding himself that she is no longer here. A small tear leaked out of his eye before he wiped it off, breathing in and out to calm himself as he noticed that they are arriving at their destination. Plus, he vowed to himself and Akeno that he would be strong and move forward._

_Arriving at their destination, Issei couldn't help but be at awe at what he was seeing. The dragon mountain, true to its name, was filled with tall mountains as far as the eye could see with vast forests surrounding each of them. You could practically feel the nature all around him. Issei could spot many things that were flying around in the distance. Dragons! Flying freely through the skies and he also spotted dragons who dwelled in caves based on those very mountains. He had never seen so many of his own kind before and it seems that many of those dragons turned their attention towards them. Eventually, two large dragons landed before them. They were most likely guards who patrolled the area and sure enough, one of them asked_

"_Halt, you are about to trespass into our territory. We have not been given any notice about any visitors coming here so I will ask you to state your business and identify yourselves." The red dragon, most likely a fire dragon, stated thus revealing himself to be indeed a guard. Great-red stepped forward to answer him._

"_**Please be at ease, young dragon! We only wish to talk to Tannin over a few matters. We ourselves are dragons**__" Great-red, Ophis and Issei all revealed their wings to prove his claim "__**and please believe me when I say that we do not mean any harm to you or any denizens of this place. In terms of our identity, it would be better to introduce ourselves in the presence of Tannin so if you could bring him here, I would be most grateful**__" stated Great-red. The fire dragon raised an eye-brow at this. Normally, he would not permit this and would tell them to leave but his instincts were screaming at him not to mess with the beings in front of him so with little choice, he went to get Tannin who would hopefully be able to deal with the situation at hand._

"_Very well, but please wait here and do not cause any trouble."_

_After a short wait, a large purple dragon could be seen making his way towards them. Issei could instantaneously tell that this was Tannin, the Blaze meteor dragon and former dragon king his father previously talked about. The amount of power that exuded from him easily outclassed him and any dragon currently present save for his parents. He looked in awe at this majestic dragon before him and hoped one day he would be as cool as that._

_After Tannin landed, he turned his attention to his visitors and introduced himself._

"_Greetings, my name is Tannin, the Blaze meteor dragon and former dragon king. I am the leader of this place and I heard that you wish to speak to me. May I inquire who you are?" Tannin questioned to which Great-red let out a small giggle._

"_**I'm surprised you do not recognize me simply by looking at me. Not many dragons boast four wings but I guess I can give you a hint**__." He said letting out a mere fraction of his power but this was enough to cause several dragons to take a step back in fear understanding that this dragon was beyond their league but none was more surprised than Tannin himself, due to the fact that he had felt this aura many years ago and never in his wildest dream would he have imagined this being to come before him today._

"_it… it can't be. Is… is that you Great-red" stuttered Tannin as he himself took a step back fearing the answer that he knew to be true. At this revelation, every dragon suddenly jerked backwards as their expressions turned from shock to fear. Everyone, no matter what faction, knew exactly who Great red was. The most powerful being in existence. Simply the mention of his name causes fear to spread in ones being. To stand in his very presence multiplied that fear by a huge amount as many dragons now feared for their very lives. Many mothers clutched desperately their young to protect them even if it was futile. _

_Seeing everyone's frightful expressions, Great-red dismissed his aura_

"_**Please be at ease! Like I have previously stated to your guard, I have not come here to fight and I do not wish to cause any harm to your people. I have simply come here to talk with you over a few delicate matters**__" spoke Great-red in a calm and gentle manner trying to get his point across. Seeing that there was no hostility in Great-red caused Tannin to breath a huge sigh of relief and seeing Tannin relaxed caused the surrounding dragons to relax._

"_V…Very well, I believe you. If that is the case, then may I ask what it is you wish to ask of me and may I inquire as to the identity of the people you brought with you?" he asked turning his attention to the people in question. He'll come to know that some questions are better left unanswered._

"_**Very well, in that case, first let me introduce you to my mate Ophis, she…**__" Unfortunately, he immediately got interrupted by a wide eyed Tannin who could not believe what he heard._

"_ did you just OPHIS! As in the Ouroboros dragon god. No one has heard from her in almost a decade and this entire time she was with y… wait wait wait wait wait, did you say she was your MATE. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE" he shifted his attention towards her "From what I heard, you cannot even stand the mere sight of him and even created a brigade to get rid of him?"_

_Gone was the regal and composed tannin that all of them was used to and in his place was a panic and stuttered dragon. Every dragon present had never seen Tannin act like this before but no one could really blame him considering who he was facing and the amount of information revealed._

_Great-red simply shrugged it off_

"_**Well, let's just say we both got over it. Anyways, let me introduce our son. This is Issei Hyoudou**__" he said bringing Issei forward._

"_Oh… you have a son… I see" After hearing the news, his mind was not able to cope with the information and as a result… he fainted._

"_TANNIN-SAMA" "FATHER". Everyone ran towards him worried about his state. Great-red and Issei could not help but laugh at the situation. Even Ophis couldn't help but release a small giggle. It took about a minute for Tannin to recover and then he took a moment to process everything he learned. After taking a deep breath and coughing into his fist, he began speaking_

"_my apologies for that earlier display. This news honestly went beyond the scope of what my mind could handle. First, I would like to formally welcome you to our territory, something I should have done in the first place and it is an honour to have both dragon gods in our presence but if I may ask as to how all this came about?" Tannin inquired to which Great-red nodded saying that he was about to get to that before somebody interrupted him causing Tannin to flinch. Anyway, Great red started explaining to tannin everything that has happened from Issei's birth to the events that led them to his territory. The most surprising thing that he revealed was the fact that it was Issei himself who was responsible for the massive power outburst that he felt previously._

"_Oh ho! That is indeed very impressive" he soon turned his attention towards the boy and continued "so the youngling was responsible for the unknown power everyone is scared of. Although, considering that he is the son of not one but two dragon gods, I should not expect anything else. What is your name young drake?" Tannin asked turning his attention to Issei who stepped forward._

"_H… Hello Mr. Tannin, it is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Issei Hyoudou" issei introduced himself nervously causing Tannin to giggle a bit._

"_It is an honour to make your acquaintance as well Issei. To stand here in the presence of the son of both dragon gods is nothing short of a miracle. Also, you do not need to call me Mr. simply Tannin would do. You will come to learn that dragons do not really care about formalities like other factions do" His tone then shifted to a more compassionate one "Allow me to offer you my sincere condolences over the loss of your mate. For a dragon to lose one of his mates is the hardest and painful thing to experience and for you to have gone through such an ordeal at such a young age fills me with much grief and I am very sorry for your loss." He then looked at Ophis and great-red "I also extend my condolences to you both for having lost a friend in the process. Having lost so many comrades myself, I can understand the pain that you are all going through."_

"_Thank you very much Tannin! We appreciate it" said Ophis with a light bow. A few tears escaping her eyes at the reminder of losing Shuri and Akeno._

"_**Yeah Thank you! Anyways, like I previously told you, due to recent events, various factions are currently undergoing investigation in Kuoh trying to figure out what entity was responsible for the devastation caused there. As a result, we wish to lay low for a while until all of this blows over and I was hoping you would allow us to live in your territory. In addition, my son wishes to undergo training to become stronger. Unfortunately, Ophis and myself have been born powerful and have not trained a day in our lives so I cannot offer him an efficient training as I would like. We did teach him the basics however we have no idea how to go from there and I heard that you had been training the younger generation of dragons; therefore would be the best qualified for the job**__."_

_Tannin nodded signaling his understanding of their presence in his territory._

"_hmm, I see! And I take it that since you wish to lay low for a while, you also do not want me to tell Mephisto Pheles or the devils about your presence here, correct?" inquired Tannin to which he received an answer via Great-reds and Ophis nod._

"_Indeed we do Tannin! I understand the difficult position we are putting you in concerning the fact that you are now part of the devil's community but…" said a worried Ophis until she was interrupted by tannin raising his hand, palm upwards._

"_Please, say no more Ophis. As you may or may not know, I turned this place into a safe haven for all dragon kind in order to ensure our survival as a species. For me to turn you down now would make me a hypocrite wouldn't it. I would be honoured to have you and your family living here amongst us and you have my word as a dragon king that no one will ever know of your presence here. Furthermore, as a I stated earlier your son is a miracle like none other, born in an era where our kind has been either hunted down to near extinction or sealed. Too see your son a being born of two dragon gods, brings joy in my heart that there may be some hope for our kind after all."_

"_Yes… He is our precious little miracle" she said so tenderly as she looked towards her son. Great-red patted Issei heads nodding illustrating his agreement while Issei could not help but blush in embarrassment at all the praise he is given._

"_Issei Hyoudou."_

_Issei turned his attention towards Tannin who called him._

"_From what your parents just told me, one of the reasons to seek me out was to aid you in your training but I would like to hear of your opinion on the matter since in the end, it is your decision that matters. For what purpose do you seek strength and how far are you willing to go to obtain it?" inquired Tannin in a serious tone. Issei took a moment to think about his question but it did not take long for him to come up with an answer. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Tannin straight in the eyes and answered_

"_The day that Akeno and aunty Shuri died was… the worst day of my life. I have never felt so helpless than on that very day where I was unable to do anything but watch as my friend was taken away from me. When I was trapped in despair, Akeno saved me from loneliness and yet… when she needed my help, I couldn't do anything to help her. Despite the fact that I am the son of the two most powerful dragons in existence, I was powerless TO DO ANYTHING" he shouted the last part as a few tears escaped his eyes but he still continued _

"_I vowed to them that I would do anything to become stronger for their sakes as well as my own. I need to get stronger so that I will never feel so helpless again and be strong enough to protect those I care about. Never again do I want to lose anyone because of my lack of strength." This time, instead of sadness, his eyes burned with an unshakable determination to become stronger. Seeing this, Tannin was very pleased._

"_ho ho! Very interesting. Remember to hold on to that incredible resolve for it is what will aid you through our training." Said tannin as he gestured towards another dragon who stepped forward._

"_This is my youngest son, Bova. Despite being the youngest, he is without a doubt the strongest of his siblings and he will be your sparring partner during your training. If I am not mistaken, he is about 3 years older than you so I hope you two will get along. Are you ready, young drake?" asked Tannin_

"_Yes I am." Said Issei with a fire burning brightly inside of him. Tannin smirked and said_

"_Then let us begin!" _

_End of Flashback_

That day marked the beginning of his training and Issei was very happy that he could progress towards his goal. At first, whenever he would spar against Bova, despite giving everything he had he just could not defeat his adversary which would result in him pouting in frustration in front of his mother. Ophis could not help but find him absolutely adorable whenever she would try to encourage him whenever he gets into that state. Yet, whenever Issei and Bova sparred despite the fact that she cheered for Issei all the way, a small part of her could not help but hope for Bova to win just for the chance to be able to see that adorable pouting expression of his.

_Flashback_

_Issei POV_

_Every time we finished sparring; we would head out to the main clearing where Tannin-ojisan had begun the training sessions. As it turns out, Tannin has a peerage of his own which I found kind of cool. They act as 'Captains'. Since there is too many Dragons here for Tannin to train on his own, they split into groups and are trained by each of Tannin's peerage members respectively. Many Dragons were unhappy that they couldn't join me in my group, the one trained by Tannin, but this is something they could only mull over as the groups were already set before I ever arrived here. Interestingly enough, the groups aren't split from "strongest to weakest". They're split by how well Dragons "adapt and grow" in a short amount of time. In other words, Tannin teaches the most and at the fastest pace in one day. Meanwhile, different members teach different amounts and at different, slower paces. According to Tannin, the greatest skill a Dragon has is not strength itself, but rather the ability to progress quickly. _

_Apparently both him and my parents agreed that this was my biggest quality. Adaptation and growth. That is the greatest piece of a Dragon... or so he says. Although I honestly did not believe it considering the amount of defeats, I accumulated with Bova. _

_Tannin-ojisan sighed "Listen Issei, I do not think you understand the incredible growth you are currently undergoing. You are merely a decade old and yet you have developed abilities unbefitting your age. Did you know it takes many months and even years for a dragon to master partial transformation from human to dragon and yet, from what your parents told me, you were able to accomplish this in under a month. I also remember them telling me that you were able to fend off dozens of rogue devils including an eight-winged devil, all while protecting Akeno from harm when you were but 7 years old. That is mind boggling my boy. Its true that my son has gotten the better of you in your battles but that is primarily due to the fact that he had more battle experience compared to you. However, experience can be gained through training which is exactly what you are doing everyday. Plus, you may not have noticed due to your self-depression but you are getting stronger everyday. Your parents and I could see that every battle, Bova had to exert more and more strength in order to keep up with you and ultimately win. You need to have more confidence in yourself, young drake. That is what will aid you in acquiring the strength you so desire. This rapid growth of yours far surpasses that of any dragon kings and even the heavenly dragons. You are the son of the two most powerful dragons in existence so move forward with confidence and eventually all your training will pay off." stated Tannin with absolute certainty. I was very moved by the unshakable faith my uncle had of me._

"_So, are you really to continue training, Issei Hyoudou." Asked Tannin_

"_Hai, shishou" I answered with confidence and determination._

_We learned a lot during training... Or at least I did. A lot of the Dragons were training with partners to practice the 'Dragon style' martial art. Tannin created a fighting style called the 'Dragon style' or "Ryu style". Anyway, the Ryu style is a special martial art that Tannin specifically created for Dragons. This is due to what the style relies on in order to be properly used._

_Dragons were once the greatest predators in existence. Surpassing that of any other races including Gods to the point that if you looked on the list of strongest beings, you would have seen it filled primarily with dragons. Almost as if they were destined to rule the skies, seas, and lands. Their bodies are built to be strong, spirits unbreakable, minds tenacious, and much more. All in all, they are beings that are meant to win. And the main indicator is, once again, their bodies. For example, their instincts. The very reason that Ryu style is perfect for Dragons. You got to hand it to Tannin, he knows exactly what to do. Even my dad could not help but marvel at his training method stating that he would never have even thought to come up with a style like that._

_The way Ryu style works is simple in nature. A reactionary style of martial arts. You see, out of any living race in existence, Dragons have the greatest natural instincts. The average Dragon has better instincts than a High-Class Devil. So Ryu style relies on such a factor by existing as a reactionary fighting style. In simplest terms, when an enemy attack, you then counter attack…. At first when I heard of it, it sounded a bit confusing. Although no one could blame me since I was just a toddler back then. This is how it works: According to Tannin, it takes advantage of your instincts to the fullest. The reason is precisely for the 'reaction' aspect. Practically, you get into your stance and prepare for a physical attack, once the enemy attacks immediately dodge or block, then counter. The counter is what matters most. During the counter, you should be attacking maliciously and relentlessly. Not allowing the enemy to counter you, because the moment they try, you would counter their counter and begin your assault from there. I know it's weird and many would think: 'why the hell would an enemy let you attack you so much?' which is exactly what I asked him. But there's the ingenuity of it, it's not about them letting you attack, it's you not letting them attack! It doesn't necessarily rely on speed. You don't need to be insanely faster than your opponent to use it, in fact, even being half as fast would be sufficient. Because your instincts kick in and warn you of their attack before it's even made it a quarter of the way towards you! That's why instinct is so important! That's why it's perfect for Dragons! That's why it can be used for enemies stronger than you! That's why it's a 'reactionary' style! That's why there's so much countering! You will know what attack they are going to use the moment their muscles tense! You can smell and even hear the fire welling up inside the bellies of another Dragon! You can hear the sound of a magic circle being conjured by the symbol! You can feel someone's aura flare from long distances or quietly seep out from someone's body! It's amazing! Instinct is truly a terrifying concept! No wonder every pantheon feared and hunted down our race._

_The main part of it is learning to hone your instincts. This is what Tannin wanted me to learn above all else. Luckily, I did have previous experience requiring my instincts which shishou, again, praised me for accomplishing despite being so young. When I fought all those devils several years ago, I listened to my instincts in order to be able to handle multitudes of devils and if it weren't for them, the devil Valper might have been able to defeat me and I wouldn't be alive today._

_Needless to say, after many months of training, I had finally achieved my first win against my rival Bova. I was so ecstatic that you could literally see me running around everywhere like a kid who just received his favorite toy. My parents found it adorable, well mostly my mom. My dad was to busy laughing with the other dragons. Tannin-ojisan was very thrilled and happy for me, congratulating me on my first victory saying I deserved it after so many days of constant training. Heck, even Bova came forward and put his fist forward claiming that next time he would win. I bumped his fist smiling and told him 'bring it on my friend'. _

_End of Flashback_

Unfortunately, not everything was sunshine and rainbows. At the start, everything seemed to move along smoothly until 6 months later, Issei was given news that nearly tore his heart apart.

Barakiel's attempted suicide.

It may have succeeded were it not for the timely intervention of Great-red who happened to come by and visit his friend and held him in place. Ophis and Issei quickly stopped what they were doing and immediately headed towards Barakiel's place. They arrived to find his father trying his best to talk his uncle out of killing himself but it seemed that none of his words were taken to heart.

Issei couldn't help but notice how broken Barakiel had become these past few months which caused him great sadness knowing he can't do anything to console him.

While Great-red was restraining him, Ophis walked up to Barakiel and literally slapped him across the face with tears steaming down her face as she screamed at him, asking him how could he even think of doing such a thing and how Akeno and Shuri would have never wanted him to join them like this. As Ophis was tearing into Barakiel, he could not help but feel like shit because deep down he knew she was right. Shuri and Akeno would never want him to go down such a dark path. Yet, he lost the will to live. Without a warm family to go back to, he no longer had any motivation to move on despite the support of his friends. However, he felt even worst when he saw his own nephew Issei moving closer to him with clear sadness depicted on his face.

Barakiel simply didn't have the heart nor the strength to face him so he looked away in shame but that did not stop Issei.

_Flashback_

"_Please… keep on living… for me, mom, dad but most specifically for Akeno and aunty Shuri…please. I've already lost so much, I…I can't bear to lose you as well uncle." He continued crying into his uncle chest praying that his words would get through to him. He got his answer when Barakiel returned his embrace as Barakiel answered him_

"_I'm so sorry Issei, my boy, to have caused you such pain. You are right… I have to live on… for their sakes. Thank you Issei." He said with tears strolling down his face._

_Separating himself from Issei, he wiped his tears as he turned towards Great-red._

"_Thank you for saving me my friend." He told his friend with a smile. Great-red responded by bringing him into a hug._

"_my pleasure, my friend. I am just glad you are OK but don't you ever do something like that again you idiot. The thought of losing you is not something I can bear. You are my friend so please rely on me when you need to" Great-red said as Barakiel felt his shoulder moisten clearly indicating that Great-red was crying which made him feel really horrible to cause such pain to his friend_

"_I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry." Barakiel repeated again and again. Ophis then also came forward to embrace him as well._

"_I am just so relieved you are fine. Just like Issei said, you need to live on for Shuri and Akeno-chan otherwise everything will have been for nothing." Said a teary Ophis._

"_you are both right." Barakiel said releasing a soft chuckle. Looking at this caused helped alleviate his sadness believing that his uncle would make it through this._

_End of Flashback_

That day was definitely one of the worst days of his life. To have seen his uncle in such a state was something that tore at his heart. Yet, ironically, it also boosted his motivation to become stronger. In order to make sure that no one he cares about will ever shed tears of sadness. Luckily, since that day, Barakiel had slowly made progress towards recovery, thanks to the constant help of his parents as well as his friends. Even the usual laid-back and carefree Azazel, after hearing what transpired, cried his heart out and instantly came to help making sure that Barakiel had everything he needed, even offering to take care of his work despite the fact that he solemnly likes to work. As a result, bit by bit, Barakiel slowly recovered from his depression and went back to work as soon as possible. However, it was obvious that there would be no way to fill the void left behind by his family no matter what they did but they still did their best. Great-red spends much of his time hanging out with Barakiel whenever he could. Ophis would often have talks about her memories of Shuri with him which sometimes cheered him up. Issei would talk about everything that has been going on with him, from all the brutal training he is undergoing, the new abilities he created and even just how he spent his time with his friends in the dragon territory. His uncle would also talk about his activities in Grigori while also reassuring him that he is alright. Issei would also sometimes unleash his complaints in front of his uncle which would cause him to laugh. Issei really enjoyed spending these moments with him and the same can be said for Barakiel.

Throughout the years, after a lot of grueling training, Issei managed to gain several abilities that helped him get a lot stronger. The first, having a complete mastery of fire. You would think that it is nothing special since he is a dragon and dragons are known for their flames and the fact that many other supernatural beings share this ability. However, you could not be more wrong. When I say complete mastery of fire, I meant it in every way. Not only was he able to learn a variety of moves utilizing his flame but he was also able to change the characteristics of his flame into something new. Funny thing is, that he learned this by accident when he was out training. After a hard day of grueling training, he felt so drained that he desperately wanted something to cool him down. All of a sudden, his flame suddenly shifted and changed to a bluish hue. But what surprised him the most was that his flame suddenly felt cold to the touch instead of the usual heat. Having no idea what happened, he decided to test his new flame, focusing forward and firing a shot. Instead of incinerating everything to ash like his usual fire, anything caught along the trajectory of his new flame was frozen solid. Trees, rocks and even small bugs hiding underground were frozen. After seeing this unexpected result, only one thing came to mind for Issei.

"That… was so COOL" shouted an ecstatic Issei as he marvelled at his new ability. Unfortunately, with his sudden lack of concentration, his flame turned back into its original state. Wanting to recreate it, he thought back to his previous actions that helped spawned the ability as he conjured flames in the palm of his hand. Concentrating really hard, he tried to visualize the flames that could freeze even hell itself. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen but then his fire slowly began changing from orange to blue and like before his new flame was chilling, no pun intended. Now that he was able to activate his new ability, he decided that his next course of action would be to inform Tannin of this new discovery. Hopefully, Tannin will be able to help him create a training regiment in order to help him improve his ability. Making his way to the training area, where he knew Tannin was currently located, he spotted his mentor guiding other young drakes, helping them improve their skills and abilities. Issei decided to wait until he was finished since he was not in any hurry so he would wait for the lesson to end before asking for his assistance. An hour passed by until Tannin finished his lesson before looking around and spotting Issei waiting in the corner.

"Issei my boy, how are you doing?" asked Tannin making his way towards his nephew/disciple.

Issei nodded. "I'm doing great uncle. I have been training my abilities on the outskirts of our territory. While training, it seems I have stumbled upon a new ability and I was hoping to ask for your guidance."

"oh another new ability. I would be happy to offer you any advice I can. Go ahead and show me." Said Tannin as he crossed his arms waiting patiently to see Issei's new power.

Issei nodded and generated fire on the palm of his hand. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the flame to change it to what he dubbed ice flame and moments later, jut as before, his flame changed from orange to blue and generated a freezing aura capable of freezing anything that comes into contact with it. Issei opened his eyes waiting to see what his uncle thought of his new ability only to see an unexpected reaction from him. Tannin was starring wide eyed in surprise at him causing Issei to tilt his head as if asking him 'what's wrong'

Taking a moment to recompose himself, tannin took in a deep breath before speaking

"Issei, can you tell me exactly how you came across this ability?" Issei nodded and started explaining in detail all the actions he took which led to this new discovery. After he finished, Tannin sighed

"Issei, are you aware that what you've accomplished is considered impossible?"

"Really?" asked a stunned Issei earning a small giggle from his uncle.

"Yes really! Any wizard, yokai, devils or any other experts of fire would not even be able to come close to what you have accomplished here. There are even many different gods and goddesses of fire from various pantheons that would find what you achieved to be impossible by nature. Heck, I cannot even believe that you were able to perform such a task. Just being able to have complete control over fire, being able to bend it to your will into a malleable state is a difficult task that many take entire lifetimes to accomplish. On top of that, fire is considered to be the most difficult element to master as it is very hard to control and is extremely volatile. Many talented people who tried mastering fire, ended up paying the ultimate price when they could control the power. Even the gods themselves spend much of their lifetime training to master their elements. Yet, here you are, barely two decades old having not only accomplished that which took centuries, possibly millennia, for gods but you were able to achieve what was considered impossible and actually succeeded in changing the fire's property and characteristic. In fact, now that I think about it, I have heard of one god who attempted to perform what you just did and if memory serves, he did succeed but at great cost of his life force so it became useless and was discarded as an impossible task, yet you managed to do it without any repercussions. I am both very proud and confused of your achievement." Spoke Tannin as he wondered to himself how this was possible. Issei also tried figuring it out but came up with no answer. As they were both stuck, they decided to ask Ophis and Great-red, hoping that they could possibly shed some light on this information. After explaining the situation, Great-red asked to see this ability first hand to get a better idea of the issue. Issei conjured up a flame in the palm of his hand and, remembering what he did previously, focused on the fire to change its property and surely enough, the orange hue was replaced with blue and instead of permeating heat, the flame felt cold to the touch.

His father whistled "**Amazing my son, as always I am impressed your rapid growth**. **I honestly believed it would have taken you many more months or possibly even years to reach this level.**"

This caused Tannin to raise a brow "It sounds to me like you know what is going on? If so, would you mind sharing your knowledge because as far as I know, what Issei just did is practically impossible."

Great red laughed "**Tannin, my friend, you just answered your own question**."

"What do you mean?" asked a confused Tannin.

"**Have you already forgotten which aspect I rule over?**" asked Great-red.

Tannin widened his eyes as he connected the dots "You mean…"

Great-red simply smirked "**It seems you figured it out. That's correct! Issei's ability is in fact technically impossible to accomplish if he were a typical person or dragon for that matter. But, Issei is my son and therefore has access to my powers. In the past, Issei was able to subconsciously draw upon my distortion ability during combat against stray devils. Unfortunately, he did not possess sufficient training or experience to call upon it once more but it is a different story right now. You can basically summarise this new ability as a more advanced version of my distortion ability that helped Issei generate these, what you call, impossible flames into existence. However, that is only part of it, the other factor being his will.** **Just like how in our dreams, anything is possible as long as you will it so. Think of it… kind of like a sacred gear. Sacred Gears can adapt and evolve based on their wielder's thoughts, needs, and feelings, gaining abilities or qualities as time passes. During training, Issei desperately needed to cool down and his power responded to his desire by changing his normal flames into ice thus giving him what he desired. His powers basically evolved and adapted to suit his needs. It's amazing to tell you the truth. I believed it would take you a couple more years until you discovered such a power but once again, you surpass my expectations. Just what expected of my son." **Great-red coughed to calm himself before continuing

"**In terms of being able to use his ability without repercussions well… you should know the reason considering his near limitless stamina courtesy of his mother. However, these abilities do take up quite a bit of energy and concentration so over using them will cause him to wear out eventually so he will need to be careful. Although this can easily be fixed through training**"

"**After all, Imagination is the soil that can bring dreams to life." **Both Tannin and Issei were impressed by his speech and knowledge**.**

"**Besides, this is not the first time you used such an ability**" added Great red.

"What do you mean dad? I don't recall every doing something like this. As far as I remember, this is the first time I've been able to change the characteristics of my flame" said Issei as he pondered a time where he could have used his ability but with no success. Great-red just sighed

"**Not that I can blame you since it was during the time you went berserk so there is no way you would be able to recall such an event. Nor would I want you too since I know how much you would blame yourself but we are getting off topic here. The point is that in that state, you did not use your normal flames but rather a crimson flame which represented the embodiment of your power. This showed me that you already possessed the potential within you to change the characteristics of your flames**" explained his father.

"Wow!" said Issei. A remark that was shared by Tannin as well

"Interesting! In that case, how should we go about training him? This is uncharted territory which I am not familiar with and, regrettably, I have no idea what the most effective training method would be?" pondered Tannin rubbing his chin.

"**In terms of training, leave it to me. I will help Issei to improve his new power as it is connected to my abilities**." Said Great-red before turning his attention to his son "**However, in the end everything will depend on your imagination son. Since like I said earlier, Imagination is the soil that can bring dreams to life. Are you ready?**" Issei simply smirked

"I'm fired up! Let's do this!"

Since then, Issei had gone through a lot of training with his father in order to not only understand his new powers but figure out how to expand and improve them. With a lot of hard work and effort he managed to accumulate several new flames in his arsenal.

The first was his ice flame. Like stated previously, anything that comes into contact with it would become frozen solid. Sounds amazing, if not for the fact that this ability could be good or bad depending on the environment it was used or against specific opponents. During one training session against Bova just above a volcano, he used this ability against him only for the ice to melt as soon as it was formed meaning that his ability was pretty useless in extreme temperatures. In any other setting, his ice would have covered Bova from head to tail. He could make it work, however he would have had to focus his entire concentration and waste a lot more energy in order to make the ice more durable which, after the fact, left him vulnerable for a counter offensive which was not very efficient.

Issei also noticed that against higher level opponents, his ice is basically rendered useless. For instance, against Tannin, it would do nothing but momentarily stun him before he shattered the ice using his brute strength. Against his father, it didn't even faze him. Although, in the end after many sparring sessions, he discovered that this ability was in general weak against dragons due to the fact that a dragon's core emits much more heat than any other races since it is what generates their powerful flames and aura. The perfect example being Bova. While the ice managed to cover him entirely, after 30 seconds he was able to shatter it by condensing heat around his body. All in all, it was a very useful flame and this was only one of many flames that he discovered.

Another flame that he managed to learn very early on was his healing flames. They are colored yellow and just like its name suggest, they are able to heal wounds and injuries. He learned this ability to help alleviate his mothers worries whenever he injured himself performing his… experiments shall we say. His ability could also heal his allies as well and as an added benefit, he was even able to restore most of their stamina which was pretty cool. Unfortunately, his uncle Tannin started abusing the shit out of this ability when training the younglings, causing many of them to shudder. Regrettably, it seems that his flame could not restore his own stamina which while not exactly a big deal was a real let down.

Another noteworthy flame that Issei managed to learn was what he called purgatory flames or the flames of hell as some people would call it, with good reason. This black flame in contrast to the other flames would not go out until it reduced its target to ash or unless its user puts it out himself. Issei was even able to learn the antithesis of this flame which is holy fire. This white flame was extremely effective against evil aligned beings and according to Tannin would also be able to exercise evil spirits and the like although he was not able to test this theory due to lack of spirits. Maybe in the future, who knows!

(If you did not already guess, this flame is very similar to the Uchiha's Amaterasu ability to give you guys an idea.)

This next flame is probably the most brutal out of all his ability, bar his crimson ones. It is a green flame that, once it makes contact with an enemy or even inanimate objects, not only weakens one's magic or power but sucks away the stamina and sometimes even the lifeforce out of them making it a very deadly weapon. Everyone called it the decaying flame. He once used it accidently against his friends while sparring instantly knocking them out and almost killing them were it not for the fact that they were high level dragons and the use of Issei's healing flames. That did not stop him however from crying his heart out while healing them shouting "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" repeatedly. Thankfully, there were no deaths but tit did show how lethal this ability could be if used against weaker level opponents. Even his father seemed to feel a very tiny tick when coming into contact with the flame illustrating how powerful it really was. Although it seemed to have absolutely no effect on his mother, which made sense. She was infinite and there is no way to decay infinity. Still, he decided that he had to be very careful when using this flame. It should only be used in the direst of circumstances or against very evil opponents. Another major downside to this flame is that it uses up the most energy and stamina out of all his other abilities, even more than his crimson flames, making it very difficult to use.

His most powerful flame is by far the crimson flames that are a manifestation of his own powers. These flames were even capable of damaging his own father in battle which is a huge accomplishment by itself. His father went ahead and nicknamed this flame "apocalypse flame" due to its massive destructive properties. Any attacks or abilities making contact with this flame was immediately reduced to nothing and it seems that nothing, short of a being of extreme power, would be able to stand up to it. Even Tannin agreed that he would easily be destroyed by this power which scared Issei quite a bit at how devastating his power really was. So far, the only people he knew that were strong enough to resist his power were his parents but he had been told by Tannin that there existed powerful Gods that could also potentially deal with his flame. The prime examples he gave were the gods of the Hindu pantheon who were currently the strongest pantheon with the death of the God of the Bible. Shiva, the God of destruction being the strongest of them all. When Issei asked how he would fare against such a God, Tannin told him something that sent chills down his entire being. He said that if he faced him, he would be obliterated by his power without so much as a sound and even Issei would be taken down quite easily at his current level. Being a God who specializes in destruction, he would probably be able to even destroy his flames before they even made contact with him. Tannin even believes Shiva to be able to take on Great-red and not die thus showing how powerful he really was. However, the power of his flames could easily match against a God and thus should be very cautious when utilizing it. It should only be used as a last resort. There was also another drawback to his almighty ability. The issue being that he could only seem to use his flame when he was in his true state, meaning his dragon form. It's not that he couldn't use it in human form but when he tested it, the crimson fire seemed to damage him meaning his human form could not sustain the incredible power the flames possess and thus ended up injuring himself.

After mastering the element of fire, Issei decided to tackle a different element. Fire was his most compatible element. His second most compatible element turned out to be lightning and he could not be any happier because his uncle Barakiel became his teacher alongside a high-level thunder dragon under Tannin. They both helped him develop his lightning to the best of their ability. As soon as they started however, they discovered something extra ordinary about Issei's lightning. Not only was his lightning completely black but they discovered that it was extremely volatile and destructive compared to normal lightning. In fact, both Barakiel's holy lightning as well as the thunder dragon's lightning/thunder both instantly disintegrated when coming into contact with Issei's even when they combined both their powers together revealing how overwhelmingly powerful Issei's lightning really was. They had no idea how to proceed since they needed to be very careful so they both called in Tannin to see what they could do. Tannin decided to postpone the training for the moment until they could further understand the properties of Issei's lightning. They already knew how powerful his flame was and there wished to prevent any unfortunate accidents like before. At first, Issei performed a few tests. He even tested his black lightning against his arsenal of flames and the results were astonishing. His lightning literally ripped through each fire, even the decaying flame which is supposed to not only weakens one's magic when hit but when making contact with an enemy's magic severely weakens it. Yet the lightning simply tore through it as if it was nothing. The level of destruction really surprised not only him but his uncle/shishou Tannin who was overseeing him as they both tried to understand the properties of his lightning. Unlike Barakiel's holy lightning that is controlled and precise, Issei's black lightning is more volatile and destructive as previously seen. A long time elapsed until they finally made a breakthrough which came in the unlikely form of Ophis. While Issei was using his black lightning, Ophis came by to check up on him only to remark how his lightning had similar properties to her own power meaning that Issei's black lightning possesses the infinity of the Ouroboros dragon god. Issei and Tannin were very shocked although if you look at the facts, it would make a lot of sense. Issei is the son of both dragon gods and so far, they have only seen Great-red's manifestation appear in Issei's abilities such as his distortion ability or his mastery of different flames yet there had been no indication of Ophis influence until now. Furthermore, it would explain why Issei's decaying flame had no effect. If his lightning possessed the infinity property then no matter how much it deteriorates, infinity is still infinity therefore, rendered the effect useless. This was a major discovery. Ophis was very happy to see Issei tap into what is the manifestation of her power. This brought a smile on her face as she congratulated her son who appreciated the praise and thanks her for it.

Issei also wanted to test how powerful his lightning was compared to his strongest fire, the apocalypse flame, the embodiment of his own power so he transformed into his dragon state and concentrated his power on both hands. On his right, the crimson flame that damaged even his father in battle. On the left, black lightning fueled by the aspect of his mother, infinity. He moved both powers together and when they came together, Issei instantly realized one thing… Worst… mistake…ever. The moment both powers collided with one another, it caused a massive explosion of fire and lightning generating a shockwave which could be felt throughout the dragon territory. If it wasn't for the constant barrier maintained through great-red's power surrounding the entire territory, the entire underworld would have felt his power and would have prematurely revealed his existence to the world. Luckily, there were no casualties since Issei performed his little experiment above a lone mountain. Unluckily, for the mountain, it bore the full brunt of the impact from Issei's power being completely obliterated. That is no small feet as the mountain itself stood tall at over 120 meters illustrating the overwhelming power Issei possessed.

Everyone who heard the blast immediately headed towards the scene very worried over the devastation caused including Tannin, Ophis and Great-red who could tell from the power emitted that the one responsible for the blast was Issei so they hurried to get there as quick as possible. Eventually, everyone arrived at the scene of the blast only to notice a deep crater at least 20 feet deep and as wide as the mountain that used to exist there. At the bottom lied Issei covered in injuries caused by his own attack. Unfortunately, he took the full blast of the impact inflicting many injuries on his person; however thankfully, he was in his dragon form mitigating much of the impact. If he had been in his human form, he would not have gotten away with only small-scale injuries. Both his hands might have been vaporized from the force of the collision. Despite that, he was very much in pain that everyone could hear him say

"Ooooouuuuuccchh!"

Silence followed until one dragon suddenly chuckled followed by another and another then it turned into full blown laughter. Everyone laughed their asses off at the sight including Great red who was also shouting "That's my boy" or "Way to go Issei". Tannin simply facepalmed at his nephews… predicament. Bova, although finding the situation funny himself, immediately recomposed himself and went in the crater to help his rival and friend. Ophis was both worried for her son and angry at everyone else, safe Tannin and Bova, glaring at them causing her aura to flare out which immediately shut them all up including her husband. After treating her son's wounds, Tannin decided to ask Issei what happened to which Issei answered to the best of his abilities. Regrettably, the only thing it accomplished was irritate Tannin even more as he smacked Issei's head with his fist calling him an idiot for doing something so reckless. He then made Issei promise him that he will never attempt a stunt like this unless he gets the authorization from either him or his parents. Issei nodded his head and vowed never to try this again without permission. The conversation ended there and everyone headed back to their home except for Issei who had to sit there and listen to his mother's scolding. He turned to his father asking for a bit of help but to his dismay, his father simply turned around and fled the scene, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his wife's err.

Another addition to arsenal is the gravity magic that he picked up during his training. He primarily used gravity magic as a means of training. For instance, he used it on himself during sparring against either Tannin or Great-red making his entire body heavier which served to strengthen him in the long run. Tannin, however, convinced him that it could also be used as a means of combat. However, that single moment can determine whether or not an attack hits or against more advanced opponents, the difference between victory or defeat. This was proven when he first used it against Tannin, gaining a victory thanks to the restricted movement caused by his gravity magic. All in all, Issei had gained an arsenal of abilities making him making him not only extremely powerful but also versatile capable of adapting based on the situation at hand.

(Back to the present)

Recovering from his trip down memory lane, Issei was currently making his way to Kuoh Academy. At first, he did not really want to go school or even need to since his parents and Tannin could teach him everything he needed. However, Barakiel convinced him to go saying that it would be good for him to get a basic education and experience the life of a student. Plus, he also added that it was Shuri's wish for him to go to school as well. When he said that, all opposition against going to school was silenced. If his aunt wanted him to experience the school life then he would honour her memory by going. Unfortunately, he had no idea where his school was located so he decided to ask for some directions.

"Excuse me, can I ask you a question" he asked the lady of the flower shop.

"Yes, son. How can I help you?" She answered.

"Do you, by any chance, know the way to Kuoh Academy? I just recently transferred there and I have no idea where it." he sheepishly asked while rubbing his head in embarrassment.

This caused a small giggle out of the lady in front of him

"Of course, I know where it is. In fact, my son attends there. Luckily it is not very far from here. You just need to head down 3 streets and turn left. The gates to the school will be visible from there. If I am not mistaken, school should start in 15 minutes so if you hurry, you should be able to make it on time." She explained causing Issei to become further embarrassed that he was almost going to be late.

"Thank you very much mam" bowing in front her.

"It's no problem son. You have a good day and have fun?" she said leaving him a smile which he returned.

"Have a nice day as well" he said leaving in a hurry hoping to make it in time. Seeing him leave, the lady sighed

"What a nice young man! Matsuda could learn a thing or two about manners from him." She thought to herself. Her son would be more likable if he wasn't such a pervert but alas you can't have it all.

After 10 minutes of brisk walking, Issei finally made his way to the front entrance of the school. Taking a deep breath, he took his first step into the halls, ready to begin a new chapter of his life.

(Chapter end)

**Alright that's the end of the chapter. What do you guys think about it. As always, leave a review if you want and I will see you next chapter. I will try my hardest to update as soon as possible.**

**Until next time, see you guys. **


	10. Chapter 10

**HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS**

**So I somehow got a surge of inspiration and was able to write a chapter in under 2 weeks. I was going to post it another time but as a new year present to all the people who followed my story, I decided to post it now. **

**It is a bit shorter than the last one but at least it is better than waiting three months. Am I right? Anyways I hope you all enjoy my new year's gift to all of you. I don't think I will be able to post another chapter as quickly as I did with this one due to school and work unless I get another surge of inspiration.**

**Anyways, that's enough talking. Enjoy the chapter**

"_italic_" = thoughts

"**Bold**" = great red talking

ISSEI POV

I could feel their energies the moment I walked into the building.

"Devils huh" I mumbled and it wasn't just one or two devil signatures I could sense but many others as well. If I remember correctly, Tannin oji-san said that there were two high class devils in charge of overseeing the city of Kuoh. Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri.

"_hmm so the two biggest signatures must be the high-class devils Rias and Sona while the rest of them must be their peerage members._" I thought to myself. It shouldn't be surprising considering that my father told me that this place was considered devil territory. Therefore, it should not be a surprising factor that devils would be living here as well. To my benefit, it would seem that they are not very strong.

How do I know that? Very simple. One of the very first skills that Tannin and my dad pounded into me was the ability to determine one's strength based on their aura. Much can be learned from reading one's aura. You can tell a person's race, emotions and, for high level beings, it can help you sense your enemies next move. For example, an increase in aura, however light, signals a potential attack from the enemy. That's how Tannin shishou managed to beat me many times despite the fact that I became stronger than him. It is indeed a formidable ability that can be the deciding factor between victory and defeat. Anyways, this was how I was able to sense the devils as soon as I stepped foot inside the school. It is a bit strange to be attending a school with devils considering my past encounters with them but Tannin assured me that both of them were among the few he knew that were decent devils. He met them when they were younger and being introduced by their siblings as the heir to their families so I trust in his judgement. Anyways, one should not judge one's race simply due to the actions of a few miscreants. Just because some devils had done despicable things to him should automatically condemn the rest of the devil's race. If I did do so, then I would be no different than those assholes who persecuted my race due to seeing us as evil beings out of fear for our strength.

In any case, while the devils currently attending school aren't strong, their siblings however are a different story entirely. Sirzechs Gremory or Lucifer as he called now and Serafall Leviathan previously Sitri are two of the four leading figures of the Underworld and it is no secret that both have a massive sister complex. They would both go to war against anyone who dares lay a finger on them and Tannin warned him that they are both very powerful. Especially Sirzechs who is considered an abnormality amongst devils. Some say he is a God wearing the skin of a devil. That's how powerful he is and even Tannin admitted to him years ago that Sirzechs is definitely stronger than him. Should it come to a fight, shishou assured me that all of them would take his side. My parents would also join in, which would obviously be overkill. As happy as that made me, it is the last thing I want to happen as it would undermine all of the hard work my uncle did to bring back our species from the brink of extinction. If a fight were to happen, all it would do is bring unnecessary contempt towards our race and even if we won, many of the younglings… my friends would die. Simply the image sends a shiver down my spine. I will never lose someone close to me ever again. That is the reason why I went through such brutal training in the first place. I will simply lay low and avoid the devils as best as I can. I am here to obtain an education because that is what aunty Shuri wanted for me and I will not put it to waste.

Unfortunately, it seems reality hate me because in order to get my schedule, I needed to present myself to the Student Counsel president and low and behold, it brings me straight to the devils I was told to avoid.

"_huuh… why me_" I thought to myself. It couldn't be helped. I just had to hope they are not able to sense what I am. I also learned to conceal my presence and suppress my aura during my training. In order to lay low, it is invaluable ability so I had to learn it. Funny thing is, it took me a long time to be able to master it and when I did, I thought that I was hot shit until Tannin revealed that almost every one in the supernatural world is able to this especially higher-class beings. It made sense, otherwise the entire human race would have learned long ago that they are not alone in this world causing widespread panic or in the worst case a war between Humanity and the Supernatural which is something no one needed. Anyways, it was time to meet my maker as they say and hope nothing goes wrong.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Come in." I heard a voice say from behind the door so I opened and entered the room.

"Good morning, my name is Hyoudou Issei and I am a new transfer student. I've been told to come here in order to receive my schedule." In front of me was a young bespectacled woman with a slim figure, black hair styled in a short bob cut and violet eyes. This must be Sona Sitri, one of the two high class devils Tannin shishou warned me about. She seemed to be working on a few documents related to the school. It seems she takes her work very seriously. I did not expect that. It was then that she redirected her attention towards me.

"Greetings Issei Hyoudou. My name is Sona Shitori and I am the current Student council president of the school. On my right is Tsubaki Shinra and she is my vice president" she said pointing to another young bespectacled woman with long straight black hair that extends all the way down to her knees, with split bangs and light brown eyes. She was calmly standing right behind Sona with a serious expression but if you payed very close attention, one could see that she was in a position to defend her king should the need arise. Of course, I was not going to instigate anything.

"I have your schedule right here. You are in class 2A and the teacher has already been notified of your arrival. Class has already started but since this is your first day, you will be excused for being late." She said waking Issei up from his monologue while taking a piece of paper containing his schedule and handing it over to him.

"Here is your schedule and everything pertaining to your education is listed there. I hope you have a nice day, Issei Hyoudou."

"Thank you very much Sona-kaichou. I will be heading right away to class then. Have a nice day Sona-kaichou, Shinra-senpai" he said bowing slightly in order to be as respectful as possible and exited the room.

When Issei left the room, Sona looked towards her queen.

"What did you think about him?"

"hmm. He is definitely not normal. Disregarding his lack of aura, my gut is telling me that he is not a normal human." She answered truthfully which gained a nod from Sona sharing her sentiment.

"Same here. Issei Hyoudou is indeed very strong. Although he may have been trying to hide it, it felt as if I was stuck in a room with a predator." Sona calmly stated.

"What should we do Kaichou?" asked Shinra.

Sona folded her hands under her chin and thought about it before replying "For now, there is no need to do anything. From what I see, he did not come bearing hostile intentions otherwise he would have done something by now. In addition, we do not know anything about his capabilities and I will not risk your lives on a futile endeavor." She explained

"But are we really supposed to do nothing. How about contacting Serafall-sama. I have no doubt she would help us." Asked a worried Shinra but was immediately rebuked by her king

"No. If we contact my sister, there is little doubt that she will intervene but you know as well as I do that, she tends to blow things out of proportion when my safety comes into play. We must take care of this by ourselves. Rias and I are in charge of this territory and it is our responsibility to keep it safe. If I need to ask for my sister's help every time something came up then… my dream will always remain a dream. I do not want to give those old farts of a council even more reasons to deny me my goals." She said the last with more emotions letting go of her usual calm demeanor.

Shinra nodded, sadly understanding what her king meant.

Recomposing herself, Sona continued "In any case, As we have no idea of his intentions here, we will only contact my sister as a last resort should we discover that he means ill will to the people of this city. For now, you can continue working on your duties. I will inform Rias know of the situation."

"Very well, Kaichou." Shinra nodded and left the room.

Left alone in her office, Sona sighed and once again grabbed issei profile staring at his picture

"Issei Hyoudou. Just who are you?" she wondered.

* * *

The man in question was making his way towards his class thinking back on his interactions with the devils

"_I think it went alright although it does seem that they were on guard against me_" I thought to myself. I could tell from their expressions that they were weary of me but luckily, they did not decide to automatically attack him. It would have ended badly… for them. Still, the point for coming here is to receive an education just as aunty Shuri wanted and causing trouble with the devils will not allow me to do that so for now it would seem that everything is fine… hopefully.

I finally made my way to the entrance of my class.

KNOCK KNOCK.

I knocked on the door and the teacher opened it.

"Hello, I'm the new transfer student, Issei Hyoudou." He introduced himself.

"Ah yes, I've been expecting you Hyoudou-san. Please come in and I will introduce you to the class. As this is your first day, you will be excused for being late but in the future, please do take care to arrive on time." The teacher said which got a nod from Issei as they both entered class.

As soon as he entered class, he could hear everyone talking about him thanks to his enhanced hearing even though they were all murmuring quietly.

"Oh my god! Is he a new student?"

"He is so hot."

"I can practically visualize his muscles through his cloths."

"I hope he is single."

"A new prince. I wouldn't mind doing anything he asks me too."

The girls were singing praises about him while some were actually drooling over his body. The boys however were singing a different tune.

"oh no, not another one."

"Holy shit, look at how ripped he is."

"I sure wouldn't want to mess with him."

"It's not fair."

He simply sighed as he made his way to the center of class.

"Alright students, as you can see we have a new transfer student among us. His name is Issei Hyoudou and I hope you will all get along with him nicely and make him feel welcomed." That would honestly not be problem amongst the girls.

"Alright class, if you have any question for your new classmate, now is the time to ask." Many hands, mostly the girls, were raised after the teacher's suggestion so Issei pointed one of the girls who stood from her seat

"What made you come to Japan?" she asked

"Well, I used to live here 8 years ago but circumstances forced me and my family to move away. However, now that everything is fine, we decided to move back here so that I may receive an education." He answered then pointed to another student.

"What are your hobbies?" Issei rubbed his chin thinking for an answer because saying flying with dragons would not exactly paint him in a bright image so he improvised.

"hmm, I would say that I like to train, practice martial arts, reading and hanging out with friends I guess." That answers why he was so ripped but it also piqued the curiosity of other students

"Have you ever tried studying in swordsmanship like kendo, for instance" asked a pink haired girl. That question got most of the girl's attention since most of them belonged to the kendo club and they would love for him to join. Unfortunately, the answer they got was not the one they wanted

"I'm afraid not. My style is mostly centered around using my fists and I do not think I would be any good with a sword." He answered then pointed to another girl.

"Are you single?" she curiously asked. What she didn't know is that the question unknowingly caused a pang of agony because it reminded him of someone… he lost but he was still able to suppress his emotions and answer the question

"Yes, I am single but at the moment I am not looking to enter a relationship" he said breaking the hearts of many women in the room while cheering up the boys in the room. One of the boys suddenly stood up and asked

"Which part of the female body do you prefer, breasts or butts?"

"W…W What?" was the only response that came out of a surprised Issei who had no idea how to answer that question, even causing him to blush a bit which the girls found adorable. Luckily, he was saved by the interference of the teacher

"Motohama, please refrain from asking such immoral questions and Hyoudou, you do not need to answer such a question. That will be all for the welcoming questions." Showing his appreciation with a slight nod, Issei then headed towards his seat and the teacher resumed class.

The rest of the day went by swimmingly and the lessons were not to hard to grasp. Although my introduction could have gone a bit better, it was not even the craziest part of the day. During lunch, I had practically every club trying to recruit me even though I wasn't planning on joining any. It got so bad that I had to run away from that crazy mob of students. It was the first time I've ever seen humans as scary. Luckily, they gave up by the end of the day so I packed my things and got ready to leave for home. As I was leaving however, I could feel a pair of eyes looking over me as I was leaving. I could tell that it was the two devils, Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri. I do not know what they want but for now, it is better to ignore them and leave them be.

Up on the second floor, looking outside the window were the two devils in question surveying Issei.

"So that is the boy you mentioned, Issei Hyoudou I presume" asked a crimson haired beauty as her eyes followed the retreating Issei.

"Yes, it is. Unfortunately, he is a total mystery." Answered Sona with a stoic expression. Rias raised a brow as she turned her attention to her friend.

"You could not find any information on him?"

Sona shakes her head "On the contrary, I've found quite a bit of information. Parents, date of birth, where he went to school, places he's been and so on. Everything points to him being a normal person but… my gut is telling that he is anything but normal. Being in the room with him felt as if I was trapped in there with a predator and he is definitely stronger than he appears to be." What Sona does not realize is that all the information she found was "created" by Great-red in order to blend in more naturally.

"Do you know if he plans to cause any trouble?" This territory was placed under her and Sona's care and she would be damned if she let anybody create issues here.

"Based on our previous conversation and investigation, I do not think he is here with malicious intent. If he wanted to cause trouble, he would have already done it long ago but instead he is attending our school. He's been here for several weeks and has not caused any trouble since. However, we should not let our guard down and try to figure out what he is up to." Sona explained making Rias nod in understanding.

"I see. In any case, I was planning on sending Koneko-chan to keep an eye on him. With any luck, she might be able to determine who or better yet what he is." Said Rias.

"Very well, but please be careful. I need to get back to my duties but if you need help, just let me know and I will aid you to the best of my abilities". Rias thanked her friend who proceeded to take her leave. Rias then made her way towards the old school building where her clubroom resides in. There she found her rook, Koneko eating a few sweets. Koneko Toujou is a petite girl with white hair and gold eyes. The front of her hair has two long bangs going past her shoulders and several loose bangs hanging over her forehead, while the back has a short bob cut. She also wears a black cat-shaped hair clip on both sides of her hair.

"Koneko-chan."

"Hai, Rias-buchou." Koneko redirected her attention to her king.

"I need you to follow Issei Hyoudou and if possible, find out what he is. You have the best senses out of all of us so I can only rely on you for this task. However, be very careful when tailing him. He is a complete mystery to us so if you feel he is onto you then you are to withdraw immediately and report to me. I do not want you to needlessly risk you life on such a thing" she said with concern over her servants well being.

"Very well Buchou. I will get to it immediately" she said while nodding and left the premises to follow her target.

"Ara ara, where is our little Koneko-chan running off to." Rias turned her attention to the new arrival. She was beautiful young woman with a voluptuous figure that matches Rias figure, very long black hair and violet eyes. Her hair is usually tied in a long ponytail, reaching all the way down to her legs with two strands sticking out from the top and sloping backward, with an orange ribbon keeping it in place.

"I sent her to keep an eye on a potential troublemaker that Sona warned me about Akeno". The unknown voice now revealed to be none other than Akeno herself who grew up to be a beautiful woman.

"Oh is that so. I wouldn't mind having a little fun. I have a new technique I was dying to test out ufufu" she said in a sadistic tone making Rias sigh knowing her queens sadistic nature

"Hopefully, it does not come to that. Anyways did you prepare the chess board?"

"Yes I have and I also prepared a new blend of tea. I hope you'll like it."

(SURPRISE AKENO'S ALIVE. Of course everyone knew this already lol :P)

Strolling along the streets, Issei was making his way back home after a long day at school. Or, at least, that was the plan if it weren't for his little tracker following him since he left the school.

"_huh, well so much for not drawing attention_." Issei thought to himself with a sigh of defeat. He was trying to lay low and avoid the devils as much as he could, yet it seems fate had other plans for him. As far as he could tell, he did not do anything that would lead to exposure so either he underestimated the devils ability or they do did for every new student which makes no sense.

"_Oh well, let's see if I can shake her off_" thought Issei as he made his way into a more crowded place. He shifted between places. From the shopping mall to the bookshop. He also went in the arcade and yet he could still feel the same devil signature following him which honestly impressed him a great deal. She was able to follow him in crowded places despite the fact that he was concealing his presence which was very hard to do. This meant that she must be exceptionally talented at tracking people.

"_Impressive. It seems that there is no way to shake her off. Well… time for Plan B, it seems_" Leaving the arcade he walked forwards until he made a right turn towards the pathway that leads to the park.

Seeing that she lost sight of her target, Koneko slowly picked up the pace but still remained a good distance from him. Making the same right turn, she was shocked when she saw that Issei had disappeared. She did not understand what was going on.

_Thud_.

She heard something land right behind her and turned her head backwards only to be face to face with Issei who had his arms crossed, annoyed at being followed.

"Why are you following me?" glared Issei. Koneko took a step back and looked up at the towering giant. She could not believe that she was discovered despite how careful she was tailing him. There was no indication that showed that he was onto her so the only reason she could think of was that he had amazing senses just like hers. Her instincts were going haywire warning her to get away from this dangerous entity. She could see why Rias and Sona were very careful with matters concerning him.

"I'm not following you" she tried to play dumb hoping beyond hope that he would buy it.

It didn't work.

"Please don't lie to me. You have been following me since the moment I stepped out of school" Issei gave her the answer she was dreading. She could feel his annoyance exuding out from his body as his aura slowly increased around him.

"How…?" was the only word that came of her mouth.

He spoke again after a short pause.

"You were hiding pretty good there. I could barely sense your presence when you were following me which is really impressive, by the way. Unfortunately, I am very good at sensing people around me and I could feel your gaze as you tailed. Plus, it wasn't that hard to figure out considering that you were the only devil signature in a crowd of normal people. You should take heed to be careful next time." He warned her before getting to the question he really wanted to ask.

"Did your master have you follow me around?"

The girl did not respond. She merely kept her stoic expression untouched and remained silent. But deep down, she was frightened. He even knew that she was a devil which really shocked her. Unfortunately, Issei noticed her trembling slightly indicating her fear of him. Sighing, he reigned in his aura back into himself hoping to ease her. Seeing her take a breath and her body relax showed that it worked.

"sigh… Look, I am not here to cause any harm to any devils or the people in this city. I am simply trying to receive an education just like any other students. As long as you do not perform any malicious act against me, I swear to you that I will not cause you any trouble. Can you please pass along this message to your king?" He smiled at her hoping to express his sincerity although her stoic expression made it hard to see if it worked but after a moment's pause, she nodded her head positively.

"Thank you." He then placed a hand in his pocket rummaging to get something causing Koneko to put her guard up thinking he was planning to do something only to be surprised when he took out a piece of chocolate.

"Think of this as a small peace offering to show my sincerity." He said placing the sweet in front of her.

"How did…" she said before being interrupted by Issei's giggle.

"It wasn't hard to recognize you considering all the talk I hear at school. The "mascot" of the Academy I believe they all called you, Toujou Koneko. They also talked about your love of sweets which is how I knew. Before you ask, I did not buy these specifically for you. I bought them for me but I prefer to give it away as a gesture of good will if it will let us start on the right foot."

Koneko hesitated a bit before Issei simply shrugged "Well, if you don't want it, I guess I'll eat it myself." But before he could pull back his, in the blink of an eye, Koneko swiftly took the chocolate for herself and started munching on it. Issei almost laughed at the scene. She reminded him of a miniature version of his mother when it came to sweets. Issei waited until she finished eating the chocolate before deciding to part ways.

"It is getting a bit late so I will be taking my leave. Please believe me when I say that I mean no harm to anyone and I hope you can relay that to your king." He said before extending his hand with a smile to the small devil.

"It's been a pleasure to make your acquaintance, even though it wasn't in the best circumstance." He said causing her to reveal a brief smile before shaking Issei hand. Once they separated, they parted ways. Koneko had to return to Rias to explain the situation and relay his message. Although her assignment did not go as planned, it did reveal that Issei knew of the supernatural world and based on what she sensed, he was definitely not human. Seeing her leave in the direction of the academy, Issei sighed before turning in the opposite direction and headed home. He had no doubt that the devils will want to speak to him, most likely to find out what he is but for the moment, it had been a long day and he just wanted to get back home and rest.

After a few minutes of walking, he finally made his way home.

"I'm home" he said as he entered his house. He could spot his mother cooking dinner in the kitchen. She immediately turned around to greet her son with a warm smile.

"Welcome home Issei. Dinner is almost ready. It should be ready in about 15 to 20 minutes. How was your first day at school." She asked excitingly. Issei looked around

"It was… an interesting day. Where is dad?"

"You father is taking care of a few things back with Tannin but he should be back any minute now. Why? Did something happen?" she asked with a tinge of worry.

"Sigh… yeah you could say that" he said before sensing a magic circle. Issei turned and saw a familiar figure appear when the magic circle died out. It was his dad.

"**Hey son, how was your first day at school**?" he asked his son ruffling the top of his head. Slowly removing his father's hand from his head, he turned his attention towards his father

"Like I told mom, it was an interesting day overall but… something did happen." He said, this time looking towards both his parents. His father's expression then turned serious.

"**What happened**?" Issei then proceeded to explain everything that occurred especially his little meeting and conversation with Koneko Toujou.

"I told that I am only here to receive an education and not hurt anyone. I think I managed to get her to believe me so I believe that she will relay my message to her king but it is safe to say that the devils are trying to dig up information about me." He finished explaining as his father and mother were both taking in everything he said.

"**I see. Well, we knew it was only a matter of time before they got curious but I didn't expect it would be this soon. Maybe they are still being extra cautious due to the incident so many years ago**" Great-red speculated as he rubbed his chin.

"Based on your meeting, it is safe to assume that the devils are aware that you are not human which means you have to be extra careful when dealing with them." Added Ophis.

"**No doubt the devils will approach Issei for answers now that they know he isn't human. I believe it is fine for you to reveal the truth with matters regarding your identity in order to satisfy their curiosity. If asked about your origins, just say that you were born to high class dragons who lived in seclusion amongst the humans which is honestly not that far from the truth. Just don't reveal that you are the son of dragon gods or I can guarantee that this will be the least of our worries.**"

Issei nodded, effectively ending their conversation just in time as the food was ready.

* * *

Meanwhile, Koneko arrived back to school around the same time Issei arrived home. She made her way towards the old school building where she knew her king would be waiting. She walked upstairs and eventually arrived at the entrance of their clubroom.

Knock Knock

She knocked the door.

"Come in." she heard her king say as she entered the room. She could see that Rias was alone in front her desk. Most likely she sent everyone else home while waiting for her.

Rias looked at her and greeted her with a charming smile.

"Welcome back, Koneko-chan. Were you able to learn anything new about Issei Hyoudou." She asked getting straight to the point.

"Hai, I did Buchou. From what I can tell, although I could not pinpoint what race he is, my instincts keep telling that he isn't human." Koneko stated before pausing letting her king understand things. At least, this got confirmation of what she and Sona suspected so at the very least it was worthwhile news. Unfortunately, Koneko wasn't finished.

"However, there was a slight complication, Buchou." Rias tilted her head in confusion indirectly asking her what it was. She took a breath before proceeding

"Apparently he was aware of me following and… confronted me." She revealed. Rias went wide eyed with worry looking over her rook from head to toe.

"Oh no. Are you alright? Did he do anything to you? I swear on Satan's name that if he harmed you, I will make him rue the day he was ever born" she howled in anger but was quickly calmed down by Koneko who shook her head negatively.

"No, he did not hurt me. After confronting me, he asked me to relay a message to you that he does not bear any malicious intent to anyone here, whether devil or human and that he only came to receive an education. I could tell that he wasn't lying Buchou." She explained to Rias who breathed a sigh of relief that her precious servant was not harmed.

Based on what she was told, if he really wanted to harm her, he could have done so but instead he confronted her and let her walk away. At the very least, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Very well. Although it did not go as I expected, we still learned quite a bit about the boy. Unfortunately, I am not about to trust someone I never met so tomorrow I will have Kiba-kun and Matsuda-kun bring him to me for an introduction. I will determine for myself whether or not he is threat to the safety of everyone here. Anyways, Great work Koneko-chan. Go back home and get some rest." She told Koneko who nodded and took her leave. Rias sighed one last time and decided to head home as well to prepare for the inevitable meeting tomorrow with her new 'kouhai'.

The next day came by very quickly and ended just as fast and the time Issei dreaded came upon him. As lessons for the day ended, Issei was getting ready to go home until the blonde Devil boy had entered Issei's sight. With an invisible sighed, Issei mentally prepared himself knowing that the devils would come but why did it have to be today of all days. The blond put up his hand to shake Issei's and offered a smile.

Shaking hands, the two exchanged proper greetings.

"Hello, my name is Kiba Yuuto." He spoke.

"I'm Hyoudou Issei. It's a pleasure to meet you." Issei returned the polite greeting.

"Hyoudou-kun, I was wondering if you were busy at present." Kiba asked calmly.

"I'm not. Is there something that I can help you with?" Issei was pretty sure he knew what this was about but still decided to ask.

"Well, I'm a part of the Occult Research Club and my Club President wanted to speak with you. Would you be willing to come along?" Kiba asked politely. Issei knew that this would happen sooner or later considering that Rias had sent Toujou Koneko after him and most likely Toujou-san revealed their conversation so it was inevitable. Issei could sense that Kiba meant no ill will towards him so it would seem the princess simply wished to talk to him.

"Alright. I'd be happy to."

"Matsuda-kun, you can come as well. Buchou wants us all there." Kiba spoke making Matsuda raise from his seat.

"Alright, I'm coming. See you later Motohama-san." He said to the bespectacled man who seemed to be raging internally.

"I still cannot believe you were invited to join the Occult Research club. IT's NOT FAIR You lucky bastard!" asked a frenzied Motohama causing Matsuda to laugh.

"haha, don't worry! I'm sure your time will come eventually. By the way, I'll return the magazine you lent me tomorrow**."** he patted his friends back which only enraged him more but before he could spat out his insults Matsuda left with Kiba and Issei.

Issei got up and followed the Prince of Kuoh Academy to the Old School Building and was led up to the room where a certain crimson-haired girl awaited. Knocking on the door and opening it, Issei wasn't exactly surprised that he would encounter Rias Gremory.

"Welcome. Please come in." The Club President spoke politely with a gentle and relaxed tone. Kiba took his place near the window while Matsuda sat on the couch near Koneko, the girl who followed him before. He could also sense the presence of another devil in a different room. Although its presence was a bit different compared to the others, he decided to ignore it for now.

Now that Issei got a good look at her, he could see that she matched the description Tannin gave about her. A young beautiful woman with white skin, blue eyes but her most distinctive feature was no doubt her long crimson hair. However, that is not the only thing that grabbed his attention. She had a buxom figure that would be cause fantasies for most men and she also had the biggest breasts on campus by far causing him to blush slightly as he tried to redirect his gaze elsewhere. That was not missed by Rias who simply giggled at his reaction since this was not the first time someone reacted as such. Issei quickly recomposed himself and asked

"Thank you for inviting me. May I ask what you want from me?" Issei half-expected to receive accusation glares of suspicion from everyone in the room considering the fact that his conversation with the little kitty was most likely revealed but he only received looks of indifference.

"First, I would like to thank you for coming Issei Hyoudou. My name is Rias Gremory and I believe you've already met my rook Koneko Toujou." She pointed towards the little white-haired girl who waved her hand to greet him earning him a smile in return from Issei with a nod of his head "I'll get straight to the point. I know that you know that we are devils." All of them revealed their bat like wings to prove the point before continuing "and I am well aware of the fact that you are not human. I've heard your conversation with Koneko-chan and I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt and bring you here. So, I will ask you and if you really meant what you said to my rook then I hope you will answer truthfully when I ask you what are you?"

Issei decided that beating around the bush was useless. His parents already gave him permission to reveal what he was as long as he did not reveal the more important details. As long as he sates her curiosity, everything should be fine.

"Very well. As you already know my name is Issei Hyoudou and I am a dragon" Issei answered as he spawned two crimson scaly wings from his back. Those wings made him seem bigger than he actually was even though he was already bigger than any of them which was scary. Everyone was surprised at this revelation. None of them expected to have a dragon of all things joining their school. Rias was the most surprised. At worst, she expected him to be a youkai but not a dragon.

"_a dragon? Seriously? Well… this certainly... complicates things_" Rias knew that most dragons did not involve themselves with any factions save for a few like yu-long who journeyed everywhere with the original sun Wukong or Tannin who became a devil to save his people from extinction.

"Can you tell me who your parents are and what exactly are you doing here?" She was curious to find out as much as possible about him. With any luck, if

"I wasn't lying when I said that I came to this town to receive an education. I used to live here during my childhood but circumstances forced me and my family to move away and we only returned recently." Rias raised a brow curious what he meant.

"What circumstances would those be?" Issei shook his head negatively

"I'm very sorry but that is very personal so no offense, but I won't tell you" Issei vehemently declared to her and although it annoyed her, she could understand that had the rights to his own privacy and he didn't trust them enough to tell them that. Anyways, force was never the best way to go about things so she decided to drop the matter. She got what she was after and found out what he was so she didn't need to force the issue and make an enemy out of this man. If anything, she would love to have him as an ally and with any luck she might convince him to join her peerage. A being of his strength would be invaluable to her.

"No offense taken. Very well, then. However, let me clear on one issue. If you cause any trouble in my territory, there will be consequences. This place is under my protection and I will not tolerate any violent acts against the citizens here and this goes double for the other devils who live here. Remember that." Rias ended her talk with him on that note.

Issei nodded.

"I understand. If that will be all then I will take my leave then. I have a few things to take care of. It's been a pleasure to make your acquaintance Rias Gremory" he said, bowing his head as a sign of respect before leaving the clubroom and eventually the school.

* * *

Several minutes later, a certain black-haired young lady came out of a doorway that led into a different room, presumably a small kitchen, given how she came out with a tray of tea.

"Ara? Did your guest leave already, Buchou?" Akeno looked around and found that the guest that Rias had been waiting for was gone.

"Unfortunately, he did. Anyways what did the rest of you think about him?" she asked the rest of her peerage.

"I believe he is pretty friendly. I think we would get along just fine" began Kiba with his usual smile.

"I think so too. If he was evil, he would have taken me down the instance he figured out I was following him but instead he confronted me and gave me chocolate." Koneko gave her own stance on the subject.

"I don't know if I like the guy" Matsuda said, being the only one to offer a negative reply.

"And why is that Matsuda-kun" asked Rias wanting to understand her pawns reasoning.

"Because he is like a second Kiba except on god damned steroids. He just came yesterday and already all the girls are fangirling over him calling him their 'Second Prince' or something. He is stealing all of the girls. On top of that, he is a dragon. Some people have it all. IT'S NOT FAIR" whined Matsuda. Rias face palmed at her pawns answer forgetting of his perverted tendencies.

"Pervert" said Koneko with her usual stoic expression.

Akeno decided to enter the conversation

"Ara, a dragon, here? I did not expect that. What is this persons name" she asked. Rias turned her attention towards her queen to answer

"Oh right, I forgot you weren't told who we were dealing with. Anyways, his name is Issei Hyoudou and he is the newest transfer student that…" Unfortunately, she was interrupted by the sound of a tray dropping.

The tray Akeno was holding had clattered loudly to the floor as Akeno's eyes widened in shock.

"_Issei's here_"

**Chapter end**

**How will Akeno react to Issei's appearing. It will be revealed in the next chapter.**

**As usual, don't be afraid to leave reviews or pm me if you'd like. I appreciate all the comments you guys give me as it shows your interest in my story and I cannot ask for more.**

**Until next time guys and once again HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again guys. It seems a lot of you guys loved my chapters but were expecting the reunion between Issei and Akeno.**

**Happy to hear so many people eager to read my next chapter which is why I decided to adhere to your wishes. I managed to create this short chapter featuring what you have all been waiting for. I'm surprised I was able to do this in so little time.**

**Unfortunately, school restarted for me so I will have even les time to work on my story so it will most likely take up time for the next chapters unless, like I said, I get a surge of inspiration and am able to write 7k words in one go.**

**Some of my readers have been asking me how is it possible for Issei not to be able to sense Akeno. There are 2 reasons for that.**

**1) The most obvious is that he believes her to be dead so there is no way he would think to sense her**

**2) Akeno became a devil so her magical signature changed. Issei remembered Akeno as a half-fallen angel half human so when he sensed the devil part, he did not think it was her.**

**Hope that clarifies a bit. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask me.**

**By the way, big shout out to everyone who guessed that the red dragon emperor for my story is indeed Matsuda. One of my readers asked me to make the red dragon emperor female and honestly I cannot believe I didn't think of that but by that point I already had the majority of my ideas involving a male character so hopefully next time.**

**I don't' own Highschool DXD**

Anger, pain, sorrow, and relief all boiled to a rise in Akeno's heart.

Memories of her past started resurfacing all at once. From the times they spent together, the time he protected her against the stray devils even at the cost of his well being to the day she somehow survived the blast.

Throughout the years, she journeyed throughout Japan using her skills to purify evil spirits that she learned from her mother in order to survive, doing so for a year and a half. When she stumbled into a certain town, Akeno indirectly saved a human that was contracted with a Devil from the Gremory Clan. Fearing that the Devils would kill her due to her Fallen Angel heritage and due to her previous encounters with them, Akeno decided to hide from them. Unfortunately, she had wandered into the territory of the Himejima Clan, who were still after her life and the life of her father. She could recall the events as if it were yesterday. She remembered how she was about to be killed until she was saved by Rias and Agrippa who was showing the young heiress around the territory she would be inheriting. After much negotiation, Akeno was allowed to be free in exchange for never entering Himejima territory and second, to always stay with Rias. Luckily, she was allowed to keep her mother's family name of Himejima. In time, when Rias received her evil pieces, she accepted her offer at becoming her very first servant as her Queen. She never regretted that choice because she considered Rias not only as her best friend but also as family and it only grew with the addition of Koneko, Kiba and eventually Matsuda.

However, while she was eternally grateful to the Gremory Clan, Akeno couldn't help but imagine what it could have been like if she had lived with Issei. When she thought about it, only bitterness and anger came to mind. How many days did she wish to wake up the next morning and find Issei coming to her rescue? Lamentably, her wishes were always shattered the next day when she woke up and found herself alone and afraid.

These were many questions that Akeno would never stop asking when she was younger. Had her supposed best friend forgotten all about her and continued to live on his life. She had grown bitter and angry when nobody from her past had come to save her, nor did it seem like anyone was searching for her. She had learned how to fight from a young age and was always able to sense presences.

During her time spent wondering, she never once felt Issei presence in Japan. Unfortunately, she did not know that he and his parents moved to Tannin's territory for safety.

She remembered the times Issei told her how important she was to him. Was everything he told her a lie? Did he also hate her because of her black wings? Is that why he never came to look for her. Her grief and anguish slowly twisted her thoughts about her lifelong friend until it resulted in feelings of hatred towards the very man she came to love. The very same feeling she held for her father whom she believed to be the cause of all this pain. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin which is why it is sometimes more likely to hate someone you love than hating someone you don't, especially when you feel betrayed by that person. She could not understand why Issei had given up on her after everything they had been through.

Now, in present time, she finally had the opportunity to find out from the man himself after all these years. There was so much that she had wanted to say to Issei, specifically. For years she had withheld her bitterness and now, she could finally get the burning, itching, and unbearable pain of words off of her chest. Unlike her father, who Akeno wanted to avoid, she wanted to confront the Issei.

The other members were very stunned by how upset Akeno looked. Of course, they were unaware of her past with Issei because she had never mentioned it.

"Akeno, what's wrong?" asked a worried Rias but it seemed like Akeno was in her own world and did not respond.

"Issei" she muttered under her breath before she bolted out of the doorway deciding to find him. She was gone within the blink of an eye.

"Holy crap, I've never seen fukubuchou like this" said a startled Matsuda. His sentiment was also mirrored by the little white-haired girl next to him.

"Akeno, wait!" Rias tried to go after her friend only to be stopped by Kiba.

"Please wait Buchou. This seems to be personal for Akeno-fukubuchou. There is a chance that she has encountered this person before." Kiba presumed based on her reaction to Issei being here.

"But shouldn't we go to make sure nothing goes awry. You saw how upset she was. Isn't there a small chance that she may attack him for something he did?" asked a worried Matsuda as he stood up from the couch.

"No, Akeno is not that irresponsible no matter what her emotional state is. She is my queen and I have the utmost confidence that she wouldn't do something like that." Rias immediately rejected that notion although it did not stop her from worrying about her queen.

A red gauntlet suddenly materialized over Matsuda's right arm and a strong voice could be heard from within

[**"I hope what you say is true… From what I can sense, that dragon is extremely powerful and you all stand no chance against him."**] said Ddraig causing everyone a small tinge of fear although Matsuda was also a bit peeved.

"geez, thanks for the vote of confidence Ddraig". Ddraig snorted in response

[**"I am simply stating the facts Partner, although I'm sure you all already sensed his power and understand the truth of my words"**]. No one could say anything to refute him since he was right.

With a heavy sigh Rias said "We just have to have faith in her. Hopefully, when she comes back, she will open up to us and explain what is going on." Everyone nodded and decided to believe in their friend.

The person in question was scouring around the school trying to find Issei but with no success. Using a few spells to hide her presence, she began to search the city.

In the shopping district, Issei made his way towards a familiar flower shop. Going in, he spotted the very same women who gave him directions to find his school just the other day. She also spotted him and came to greet him.

"Oh my, it's you. How are you doing today? I hope you made it in time for school." She asked Issei.

"I'm doing fine. Thank you for asking and thank you for helping me find my school. I wasn't able to make it on time but I was excused for being late due to it being my first day Miss... I'm sorry I forgot to ask for your name." He said scratching the back of his head. This resulted in a small giggle from the shop lady.

"It is no problem son. My name is Chelia Suzuki" she extended her arm which Issei shook.

"_Suzuki… where have I heard that name before_" Issei remembered having heard it somewhere until his mind clicked and remembered his meeting with the devils and she did say previously that her son attended the same school as him so it wasn't hard to connect the dots.

"It is a pleasure to meet you miss Suzuki. By any chance, is your son's name Matsuda?" he asked her and he got his answer in the form of a nod

"Yes, he is! I take it, you met him at school?" she asked excitingly.

"Yes, I have. I met him at his club. Plus, it was hard not to hear about him based on the rumors going around at school" he said causing Chelia to sigh knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"huuuh…So I take it you heard how my son is the incarnation of lust alongside his other friend Motohama-san." It was Issei turn to giggle at her statement.

"Amongst other things, but I do not judge people solely based on their interests. I judge them based on their character and actions and so far, your son hasn't done anything to make me believe he is a bad person. Everyone is entitled the right to pursue whatever they want. Everyone is unique and each of us possesses certain virtues that makes us who we are. Your son's lust is but one part of who he is so until I get to know him better, I will not judge him. Plus, he was raised by a wonderful woman like you, so there is no way he will not turn out great." He told her with as much sincerity as he could.

"Oh my… quite the charmer, aren't you? Thank you very much for that. You are right and no matter what anyone thinks of him, he is my son and I will always love him no matter what kind person he turns out to be and I know that there are people out there who accept my son for who he is which I am eternally grateful for. It is also my hope that the two of you can become friends" she said with a smile and he responded with one of his own.

"If we have a chance to get to know each other, I'm sure we can become friends."

"Thank you. Now, I'm pretty you did simply drop by to have this conversation so, how can I help you today?" she asked

"I'm looking to buy some flowers today."

"Well, aren't you a romantic? Who's the special lady?" she asked with a lot of enthusiasm, not knowing the circumstances. Although, she was technically not wrong because he was buying flowers for two very special ladies.

"They are for my aunt and her daughter who… passed away years ago." He said smiling sadly causing Chelia to gasp, feeling really bad for what she said

"Oh, my condolences, I did not mean to sound…" although she was interrupted by a small wave of Issei hand.

"Please don't worry about. You could not have known so it is of no trouble." He said trying to reassure her which seemed to work.

"Thank you. In that case, please take a look around and when you made your choice, come to me and I will give you a discount. Please think of it as both a sign of gratitude and apology on my behalf" she said with an expression that told Issei that he was not going to convince her otherwise so he thanked her for her generosity and went ahead to ponder his choices.

"Hmm, _which flowers should I buy for them_" he mused as he explored all his options. After much thought, he decided to buy white lilies and violets. After gathering the bouquet of flowers and waving goodbye at Chelia, Issei steeled himself as he made his to a place of deep remembrance.

Unknown to him, Akeno managed to trace his signature and after using her magic to hide her presence, she quickly followed pursuit as discreetly as she could to see where he was going. For as long as she can remember, she blamed her father for the tragedy that occurred to her mother as well as herself but another part of her also blamed Issei who she feels did not look for her during her years of wondering. She wanted to find out the truth. She followed him to the place she did not expect to see again, her previous home.

Issei made his way up the stairs and entered the shrine until he stopped in front of two gravestones. He smiled when he saw that there were already flowers placed in front of the graves meaning his parents and most likely his uncle had already visited to pay their respects. Ever since the shrine had been rebuilt by the fallen angels, his parents, mainly his mother always came by and maintained the place as best as they could. For his mother, it was a way to stay connected to Shuri and remember all the times they spent together. She did all this, not only as a courtesy to her first friend but also out of guilt. Both she and Great-red felt that part of this tragedy was their fault. Had they accompanied Akeno's family back home themselves, none of this would have happened and so, year after year, they kept apologising in front of Shuri's and Akeno's gravesites even though Barakiel kept telling them that it wasn't their fault. He could not say anything because he himself felt guilty for what happened. If he had made it just a little bit sooner, all of this could have been avoided. Of course, no one blamed him because he was a child at the time and it was the adult's responsibility to protect them or at least that is what his parents told him.

Laying out the two bouquets of flowers in front of their graves, Issei performed his prayers and began to talk to them as he did every year not knowing that he had been followed by Akeno herself.

"Hello Aunty Shuri." Akeno widened her eyes when she heard what Issei said. She could not believe that they had erected a grave for her mother.

"How have you been? In case you were wondering, I've been doing alright and so have my parents but I'm sure I did not need to tell you that considering that they came by to visit you before I did. A long time has passed since you had been unfairly taken away from us. My parents and I moved away to Tannin's home and I've spent the last nine years training with everyone to become stronger so that something like this never happens again. It was so grueling that it felt as if I were in the worst pits of Hell."

He let a small giggle

"hmhm although I'm sure I don't need to tell you that. I still remember the time when you came by to visit one time during my training with my dad and reprimanded him for training me way to hard. I also haven't forgotten all of the lessons you taught me. From tables manner to the time you even taught me how to dance. All the times you spent teasing me and Akeno. All of the days we spent together as a family were the most memorable moments of my life and I will always remember them." Issei spoke as if her spirit were right in front of him.

"As you know, we recently moved back to our old house here in Kuoh. Although it hurts to walk in and out every day because this place reminds me of everyone I lost. Thankfully, I've had a lot of support over the years and although I'm not sure what to expect from life I'll do my best to move forward just like I vowed to you all those years ago. I also enrolled into Kuoh academy and getting an education just like you wished for me. Apparently, it is under the supervision of two heiresses but uncle Tannin promised me that they are not like the devils who attacked us so you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself just fine. Besides I met with the devils and they seemed nice."

His tone suddenly turned somber.

"Uncle Barakiel is still as serious as ever but… ever since you died, he has gotten a lot more sullen. He spent every day crying over you and Akeno and there was nothing I or my parents could do to help him. He no longer laughs like he used to with my dad and he no longer smiles. Even worse, due to his grief, he attempted suicide and if it weren't for my dad, he would have succeeded… It broke my heart to see him like that and even though we managed to stop him, he hasn't been the same since. I'm so sorry auntie that we cannot help him find closure. Only you can." Issei put his hand on Shuri's gravestone and made a request with tears dropping from his face unable to hold his sadness anymore.

"Please help uncle Barakiel, auntie. He is slowly and slowly becoming a machine. His words do not seem to hold much emotion anymore so please… help him." Issei prayed to his aunt.

Wiping away his tears, he moved towards the other grave. Akeno was wondering who they could have buried next to her mom.

"Akeno…" he spoke glumly. Akeno gasped and widened her eyes in surprise at what she heard. This has been the least of her expectation. "_Did Issei think I died. Is that why he hasn't been looking for me_?" she thought to herself now quickly paying the outmost attention to what he was saying

"I miss you so very much. Not a single day goes by that I don't remember our days as children. I missed playing with you and I missed spending time with you. I still remember, to this very day, the moment you and aunty Shuri were taken away from us. Everyone tried to search for you. When uncle Barakiel and other Fallen Angels came to look at the Shrine…they found nothing. The whole shrine got reduced to nothing. Even my parents secretly went in to search for you two but with no success" Issei's voice shook, causing Akeno's heart to soften.

"I'm not sure if you remember but today is my birthday… Quite the irony is it not? A day meant for celebration and happiness has turned into one filled with nothing but misery and sadness. There are so many things I never got to tell you which I regret every single day." He paused taking a moment to breath before continuing

"I never got the chance to express how much you mean to me. You were always there for me when we were kids. You may know this but… you saved me back when we first met. You were a ray of light shining at the end of the tunnel, piercing the darkness and saving me from a life of sorrow and loneliness. You accepted me as a friend when no one else would even take the time of day to look at me. I'm so pathetic. You've done… so so much for me and I couldn't be there when you needed me the most. I never got to tell you how much I loved you. That is why I can never forgive myself for failing to protect you like I promised." Akeno gasped when she heard that. "w what…_Issei loves me_" Akeno's head started to spin as any feelings of anger within her quickly dissipated as her old romantic feelings for him suddenly surfaced upon seeing that they were reciprocated. However, watching Issei heave and cry was very heartbreaking. To see him blame himself over something that was beyond his control… was not right.

"There are times when I can't help but think that what happened to you was… my fault. Dragons are beings of power and power attracts both allies and enemies towards us. I can't help but think that the only reason such misfortune hit you and your family was because you associated yourself with me." Akeno could tell that he was clearing sobbing further breaking her heart as he continued "You did not deserve this… none of you did. I… some part of me, sometimes wishes that… you never met me in the first place. Perhaps then… you would still be together with your family. Aunty Shuri would still be alive and uncle Barakiel wouldn't be grieving the loss of his family every day" he said rubbing off his never-ending tears.

His words had caused something in Akeno to finally snap. She couldn't help but cry as well when she heard the truth of his past and his feelings. For so many years, she thought that Issei and the others had merely forgot about her. Ever since the day her mother died, her mind had convinced her that people detested and mistreated her because of her half-human, half-Fallen Angel heritage.

Almost immediately, any negative thoughts about Issei evaporated. It was surprising that it was so easy but when Akeno sensed the truth and emotion in Issei's confessions, she was overridden by her heart.

"Although my parents would murder me for saying this; if I could trade my life to give you back both of your lives so you could live happily with uncle, then I would do so in a heartbeat. I would happily die so you and your mother could live again."

This was the last straw for Akeno. Her heart could no longer bare to hear his self-destroying words anymore.

"If you weren't in my life then it would have been meaningless." She said bursting out of her hiding place.

Issei suddenly jolted at the sound of Akeno's voice and turned around to see her standing right in front of him. At first, he believed that he was simply hallucinating, that this was a result of his accumulating despair and regrets, wishing to see her once more. However, his senses suddenly came back online and his instincts told him that it was indeed the love of his life standing right in front of him. Her scent, her aura, her presence, everything about her points to the inevitable conclusion that he so desperately prayed for all his life, that she was alive and well. A shower of tears, that he was barely holding in came tumbling down his face as he called out to her still not processing that this is reality.

"A.. Akeno, is… is that really you?" he said weakly, still deeply afraid that this was all a hallucination and nothing more but his worries were immediately relieved when she looked at him with the beautiful smile that made very single light in a room look dim and weak.

"Yes, Issei, it's really me." she stated with some tears coming out from her as well.

"H.. How?" Issei was extremely shocked that he could barely speak properly

"I do not know how but I survived the blast."

At this point he did not care how so, with a sudden burst of speed that she didn't know he had, he quickly embraced her into his chest.

"Thank the heavens that you are alive." She could hear him crying on her shoulders as he continued "Words can't even begin to describe how happy I am right now that you are OK. If this is in fact a dream, then I never want to wake up" Even though it was not possible, he tightened even more Akeno into his embrace as if fearing that should he let her go, she will vanish once more from his life and that is not something he would be able to handle.

"This is not a dream Issei. It really is me and I am so happy to see you again, to hold you in my arms. I missed you so… so much" reassured Akeno as best as she could emphasizing how happy she was to see him again.

"I heard everything you said Issei." This caused a massive blush to appear on Issei's face. He said so many things and to think she was right beside him. If Tannin were here, he would both laugh his ass off and smack me for letting my guard down. Akeno stepped forward until she was face to face with Issei. She finally took noticed how much he grew since the last time she saw him. He is a lot taller than he once was, almost being a head bigger than her. He is also a lot more robust then he used to be causing a blush to surface before recomposing herself since this was not the time for that.

"I don't blame you for anything anymore. It's true that I thought, at first, that you and everyone else abandoned me due to my fallen angel heritage but after seeing your confession, I knew I was wrong. I now know the truth Issei and… I don't blame you. I can't blame you for something that was clearly beyond your control and now that I think about it with a clearer mind, my anger was misplaced. I guess… I just needed an outlet, somebody to blame or I was going to go insane from my mother's death. So, let me say this. I'm sorry for letting you suffer for so long. I was so bitter about everything that I started to hate all of you but now I don't hold anything against you because it was not your fault so please…" she dug her head into Issei's chest, looking up to him with tearful eyes.

"Please don't say that you want to die. It hurts to hear the man that I love say that. If you died, I'd want to die too. So please, for my sake and for my mother's, don't let go of life." Akeno confessed to Issei, who was stunned and flabbergasted.

"You, what?" Issei could not believe what he just heard and needed to reconfirm it. He was afraid that his sorrow had affected his mind and he was simply hearing things.

However, Akeno gladly repeated herself. "I love you, Issei." She then kissed him on the mouth. Surprised, Issei lost himself as he became entranced by the soothing passion that Akeno transmitted to him. He gave in to the kiss and returned it with as much passion as he could, embracing her with the same warmth she did with him. He even unfurled his 4 winged and enveloped the both of them in it. It was as if time itself had stopped for him and all he could sense was Akeno. After a while they separated still in bliss at the kiss they shared.

"Can you please say your feelings to me, it one more time Issei." Asked Akeno earning Issei a smile as he lifted her chin so he could stare at her beautiful violet eyes he missed so very much.

"I love you so much Akeno. Now and until death do us part." He expressed with all his heart earning a blush from Akeno. They then once again shared a kiss of timeless passion cementing their love for one another.

Chapter end

**Akeno and Issei are finally reunited. I hope you guys enjoyed my chapter.**

**As usual Reviews are appreciated or you can PM me if you have any questions.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys, I managed to make another chapter for you. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you guys how long it will take for the next chapters. Work has picked up and I'm getting stumped for school. The things a guy has to do to make a living. If only I could create money out of thin air like Great-red, life would be easy but it is not the case :P . But I will try my best to update as quickly as I can although they may be short chapters but at least it is something.**

**As usual, there may be quite a few grammar errors considering how quickly i made it but i hope you guys like it.**

**Once more, thank you all so much for all the comments and reviews you posted. It shows me how much you all appreciate my story and are interested in it which makes me very happy. **

After sharing such a blissful experience with each other, they each slowly separated from their passionate kiss.

Issei finally got to take a good look at Akeno and saw how much she really changed after all these years. The years have been very kind to her as she grew up to become a very elegant and beautiful woman. Her hair long flowing black hair tied in a long ponytail reached all the way down to her legs. She was the perfect definition of a Yamato Nadeshiko. She looked almost exactly like her late mother but the biggest change he noticed was her voluptuous figure that would put even the most beautiful models to shame. He couldn't help but stare at her breasts which were by far the biggest he had ever seen, even bigger than Rias. His cheeks quickly turned crimson as he tried to shift his focus somewhere else, not wanting to be disrespectful towards her. He was a bit perverted especially when it came to breasts but then again no one could blame him. Unfortunately, Akeno noticed where he was staring but instead of reprimanding him, had the biggest smirk on her face decided to tease him.

"Ara ara, it seems that Issei-kun has a little perverted side." She said before folding her hands below her breasts to show them off.

"Do you like what you see?" she added making Issei's blush turn even redder.

"_It seems she inherited more than just Auntie Shuri's looks_" he thought before waving his hands trying to come up with a denial but all it did was make him look adorable in Akeno's eyes. At least part of his innocence did not change since they were kids which she was very grateful for otherwise she would not be able to tease him like this.

" it it it its not like that. I just thought you looked absolutely beautiful that it blew my mind away." He said honestly which caught her completely by surprise making her lose her composure and caused her to blush fiercely.

"oh t… thank you Issei-kun" she stuttered not prepared for Issei's praise but happy nonetheless. After calming down, it was then that Issei noticed another major change Akeno had gone through and this one troubled him.

"Akeno… did you become a devil?" he said finally sensing her magical signature to be devil in nature. Unfortunately, his thoughts suddenly turned darker because he remembered that many devils forcefully reincarnated other people into devils disregarding their opinion and the thought of someone forcing Akeno into slavery was not something he would let anyone get away with not after finally being reunited with her.

The atmosphere suddenly became heavier as Issei's aura started spreading. Cracks started appearing on the ground as his anger began taking over.

"Did that woman force you to become a devil? Because if you were forced to become a slave… **I will never forgive them**" his tone became a lot darker and his eyes turned back into slits towards the end of his answer. His initial perception about the devils he met at school started becoming twisted at the thought that they had forced Akeno, the girl he loved more than anything in the world, into becoming a slave against her free will. If they did

Then

.

.

.

They

.

.

.

Will

.

.

.

**PAY**

Before his anger escalated to dangerous levels, Akeno quickly intervened to correct this misunderstanding before the love of her life executed her new family.

"Please wait Issei! It's not what you think!" she shouted as she tried to calm him down, taking his hand, overlapping it with hers. It seems to have worked since his aura started to recede, his anger going along with it as he stared into her eyes as if asking her "what happened?". Akeno sighed and shared her past with him. From the day of the incident, spending almost a decade wondering alone trying to survive to the day where she met Rias who saved her life from the members of her clan and finally when she agreed to become her first piece not only to repay her for what she did but as a sign of their friendship. Issei listened the whole time and it broke his heart to hear what Akeno had to go through all by herself. He himself was torn apart when the incident occurred; however, he had his family to support him while Akeno had to go through all that alone. What made it even worse was the thought that while he was having fun back in Tannin's territory, Akeno spent all these years barely making ends meat trying to survive all on her own.

He embraced her once more.

"I can't believe you had to go through all of that. I'm so so sorry Akeno that I wasn't there for you. I swear… if we knew you were alive, no forces on earth or heaven would have stopped us from finding you…" Apologized Issei. Once more, he started sobbing but Akeno had enough of seeing Issei cry over things that were beyond his control, interrupted him but still returned his embrace.

"I know Issei. I know that had you known I was alive; you would have done everything in your power to find me. Don't forget I heard you talking in front of our gravestones earlier expressing how sorry you were. But please… stop blaming yourself over matters that you had no control over. I know I already said it, but I will continue to say it until you are able to forgive yourself. It wasn't your fault. and seeing the man I love berate himself over and over again to the point that he wished he could trade his own life for my happiness breaks my heart beyond measure. Stop rejecting yourself and move forward like you vowed to my mother. I know for a fact that she would also agree with me and would never blame you for this. She would no doubt berate you for hating yourself and smack you like back then…when we were kids." The last part caused both of them to giggle, being reminded the time Shuri would reprimand them for the smallest of things during their childhood. Akeno then refocused and continued

"Please do it, if not only for yourself but for me and my mother." She pleaded as she pressed his head into his chest with tears started falling off her face this time. Issei, not wanting to cause her any more sadness smiled and lifted her chin so he could meet her eyes.

"Very well. I promise you Akeno that I will try and do what you asked. It will probably take a long time but I give you my word that I will do my best." He told her. A dragon's word is their bond. Once they gave their word, they never go back on it. That is what makes the dragon's race one of the most, if not the most honest, race in the world. But even if that were not the case, there is no way issei could ever lie to Akeno.

"Thank you Issei" Akeno answered while returning his smile with her own as they were once gain lost in each others gaze trying to make up for all the years they've been separated from one another. The two had so much joy and fun in each other's presence that they did not notice the sun gone down.

"How long have you been back here, Issei?" she asked, breaking the silence they had between them.

"Oh well, not to long ago in fact. About a week I would say. My parents have been here longer than me as they had to… OH SHIT" he suddenly shrieked causing Akeno to jerk backwards in surprise.

"What's wrong Issei?" asked a worried Akeno.

"My parents." He replied. He had been so happy for being reunited with Akeno that he completely forgot about telling his parents about this. He had to tell them the good news or better yet bring her over to them so they could also stop feeling guilt for what happened. Even more importantly, he had to tell his uncle Barakiel of the great news. That his daughter was still alive. Finally, he could bring about an end to his uncle's suffering that he has been enduring all these years. He had wished and even prayed to anyone listening to be able to relieve him of his pain and he could finally be able to do that today.

"I need to tell my parents you're alive. They are going to be so happy to see you again." He finally spoke, this time with an excited tone.

"Even more that that, we need to tell Uncle Barakiel. He will be so so relieved to see that you are alive." He continued saying not noticing the uncomfortable expression on Akeno's face when he mentioned her father which is why he totally did not see it coming when he got interrupted by her.

"Wait, Issei!" she said, grabbing his sleeve succeeding in stopping him and getting his full attention.

"What's wrong, Akeno?" it was Issei's turn to ask her that question, now worried about her.

Akeno clutched his shirt tighter before answering.

"Can you please not tell him yet?" she pleaded. Her answer honestly shocked him which was illustrated in his response

"But… Why Akeno? Uncle Barakiel has been tormenting himself all these years ever since you and aunty Shuri died. He no longer smiles the way he used to. I'm sure you heard me before talking about how he is slowly becoming a machine despite all the support he has been getting from all of us. He is devastated but now finally… finally I've got the chance to deliver some good news that will hopefully bring him back to his old self so… why?" Akeno could tell how desperately Issei wanted to bring back her father's happiness and it pained her to see him in such pain but she was simply not ready to face him yet.

"I'm just not ready to face him. I've lived my entire life hating my father thinking that my mom's death was his fault. I know it was wrong, but… if I did not think of it like that, then my mind would not have lasted so I lashed out at him. I was a child back then and I needed to blame someone for my mother's death. I even started hating all of you when I believed none of you were looking for me and it just got worse as the years gone by. It is only after I heard your confession in front out graves that I was finally able to forgive you. Not only because I love you, but because it was also not your responsibility to protect my family, more so as a child no less. It was my father's duty to protect us but he was not there when we needed him despite the amount of times I prayed for him to save us." She gloomily told him. Her eyes shadowed by her hair so Issei could not see her expression but could tell she was crying from the tears that were dropping. He slowly embraced her in a hug wanting to relieve her sadness although it did not stop her from continuing to speak her thoughts.

"Deep down, I know that it was not his fault. In my head, I understand that no one is at fault for my mother's death but in my heart, there is a part of me that just can't forgive him for not being there for us when we needed him the most. I would like to move past all this hatred but I will need time which is why I'm begging you to give me before letting my father meet with me." She said, raising her head so she could face him. Tears still strolling down her beautiful cheeks as Issei was contemplating what to do. In the end, he decided that he would respect her wishes and give her the time she needed to gather the courage to face her father. It was still a hard decision to make since it would mean letting his uncle's sadness prolong even further; however, he knew that forcing Akeno to meet him now would only push her away even further and bring more harm then good. Matters of the heart took time to heal and hopefully, in time, she will be able to forgive her father just like she forgave him. This way they will finally be able to go back to spending time together as a real family. He was sure that that was what Shuri would want for all of them.

He let out a sigh of resignation as he wiped away the stray tears falling from Akeno.

"Very well, Akeno-chan. Even though it pains me to do this, I will give you as much time as you need. I can only hope and pray that you will be able to forgive him, just like you were able to forgive me. Just… let me say this. Not a day has gone by that uncle has not forgiven himself for what happened to you both. When he came back, he spent every day crying over both of your deaths and eventually became a shadow of his former self. You know… he comes by your graves every now and then and begs for your forgiveness for his incompetence. It hurt to see him like that. Just like my parents, he was always there for me whenever I needed someone to talk to or needed help with things. There is no way I could have become the man I am today without his help so, when you are ready to face him, please remember what I said today. I love you both so very much and you both deserve happiness." He finished speaking what needed to be said

"Thank you, Issei and I will." She responded with a nod of her head. She hugged him back, placing her head on his chest which he gladly accepted. After a moment of enjoying each others warmth, they separated from their embrace. Both sporting a smile on their faces. Seeing her smile made Issei remember the very time he met Akeno and how that smile of hers saved him from a life of sorrow. He let out a small giggle which caught Akeno's attention.

"What's so funny?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

Issei shakes his head negatively.

"Nothing… it's just… seeing your smile reminded me how much I really missed you. You have no idea how many times that beautiful smile of yours saved me and got me through… tough phases of my life." He said causing Akeno's cheeks to turn crimson once more at his romantic remark.

"oh… Thank you Issei" she said flustered. They soon noticed that it was getting late and it was time to go back home but not before asking Akeno to, at the very least, meet with his parents. Luckily, she accepted to come by and see them which made him really happy.

* * *

On the way to Issei's home, they spent the time catching up with each other's past. As Akeno already shared most of hers, Issei decided to return the favor and enthusiastically talked about everything he had been through. From the time he spent training with Bova and Tannin to the time he spent developing all of his abilities. And boy, did he have plenty of stories to tell. Akeno was very surprised when he recounted the times her father aided Issei in training his lightning. She still had mixed feelings about what to do about her father. Unlike Issei who couldn't have done anything, her father should have been with them at the time of the tragedy. If he was, then her mother would still be here with them. Her hatred for him still lingers inside of her even after everything Issei told her about her father's suffering throughout the years. Even though his apparent suicide attempt was very shocking to hear, a small part of her couldn't help but not care about it. Her thoughts were interrupted as Issei continued recounting his tales. He was currently telling Akeno of the time he was experimenting with his powers.

"After learning of my lightning's properties, I decided to test out its power in comparison to my flames. The results were amazing. All of my flames immediately got dispersed the instant they came into contact with my lightning. It was amazing. Then as my last test, I wanted to see how my lightning would compare to my strongest flame that could even damage my dad so I turned into a dragon then focused my crimson flame into my right arm and my black lightning in my left arm, brought them together and that was when I realized

.

.

.

I had made a huge mistake.

The moment both of my powers collided, they caused a HUGE explosion destroying an entire mountain… and me with it. That was the most pain I ever had to endure. If that wasn't enough everyone who came by started laughing at me including my own dad. I even got reprimanded by Tannin shishou and mom about never doing that again without there supervision." pouted Issei even using exaggerated movement to emphasize how crazy that experience was for him. This earned him a heartily laugh from Akeno.

"Ufufu, you should have expected that knowing how powerful your abilities were individually so, you got what you deserved" she stuck out her tongue at him to tease him before continuing "I can't imagine how aunty Ophis reacted to your little stunt but I'm pretty sure you received a huge lecture from her." She said wiping off a stray tear from her eye.

"oh yeah she did. I believe that I was… umm what was the term humans use again, oh yeah… grounded for like 3 days. I wasn't allowed to play with my friends or experiment with my powers unless Tannin shishou was with me." Pouted Issei. Speaking of his mother, they had finally made it to Issei's home. Taking a moment to calm themselves down, Issei looked at Akeno

"You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She said as Issei opened the door to him home.

"I'm home" he shouted as he entered his house. He heard some footsteps which he could tell was his mother. Moments later, the women in question came into view carrying a tray of cookies and tea she was preparing for her family.

"Welcome back Issei. You returned later than usual; I was getting worried. Everything alright son?" she asked, not noticing the extra person alongside her son. Issei smiled brightly

"Everything is amazing mom. In fact, I met someone today you may recognize." He responded as he moved away from Akeno in order to let his mom see her. Ophis, however was confused because there aren't a lot of people she knew who warranted such a reaction from her son. At first, she believed someone from the dragon territory came by to visit them. Maybe Bova or Tannin dropped by to say hello but that wouldn't make sense since they would teleport to their house first for discretion which they didn't so it could not be them. As she was contemplating the identity of this mysterious entity, the silhouette behind Issei became visible.

The sound of a tray dropping echoed around the room as Ophis covered her mouth using her hands shocked by the identity of the person in front of her. She looked just like Shuri but there is no way she would ever mistaken those violet orbs of hers. She prayed to whomever was listening that this was not an illusion as tears started dripping from her face.

"A…A…Akeno-chan." Seeing her aunt stuttering this way caused Akeno to let out a few tears of her own as she nodded her head

"Yes, aunty… It's me." She responded. In the blink of an eye, she was enveloped in an embrace. She returned her embrace and could hear Ophis sobbing.

"How is this possible… I…We searched for you… but we couldn't find you anywhere." Wailed Ophis.

"I don't know how I did but… I survived the blast" answered Akeno with the same answer she gave Issei a while ago. She honestly did not know how she survived the blast. It was a miracle she even lived through that. However, at the present moment, Ophis was so grateful for this miracle that brought her back to them. Seeing her alive and well also rekindled a certain hope that maybe…

"Akeno-chan… if you are here… then is Shuri also…" she asked hopefully but the pain in Akeno's expression put out that small flicker of hope she had.

"no… she isn't… mom died protecting me" she painfully said remembering the time her mother sacrificed herself to protect her from the jutsusha who wanted her dead.

"I see." Although she was very sad that her very first friend had indeed passed away, she was nonetheless happy that her daughter had survived. It means that her death had not been in vain.

"At the very least, I am so glad to have you back with us. The fact that Shuri sacrificed her life to save you proves that her death was not in vain." She told Akeno who continued crying.

"Yes… I am so happy to see you again as well aunty." She said, then all of a sudden

"**What's going on, Ophis**" they all heard a certain dragon scream running down the stairs.

Great red had been relaxing in his room when he heard the sound of a tray dropping on the ground. It surprised him because his mate was not that clumsy so his mind started to go into overdrive thinking what could have caused this. It would usually take something big to startle his mate and unfortunately, his mind went straight to the worse case scenarios and it is the fact that either something happened to Issei or they are under attack or possibly even both. Therefore, he quickly sprung out of his room and quickly ran downstairs, ready to incinerate any enemies who would dare hurt his family.

Seeing his mate crying only served to further escalate the situation.

"**Ophis, are you alright? Is Issei alright? Are we under attack**?" he shouted every question he had in his mind looking left and right for any sign of possible intruders. He raised his aura ready to strike at a moments notice while constantly wondering to himself how he had not sensed anything or how did they get passed the barrier etc. Luckily before Great-red decided to decimate the world, Ophis interjected.

"Everything is perfect. No… even better than perfect dear" she expressed with more happiness than he had ever seen in years. This is further proved by the fact that she called him dear instead of the usual Baka-red she teased him with. This got him really curious as to what happened.

"**What do you… … mean**" It took him a while to notice the other figure enveloped in his mate's bosom and the sight of that person caused his knees to weaken as his knees touched the floor.

"**It… it can't be… Akeno… is that you**?" stuttered Great-red not believing what he is seeing in front of him until Akeno responded.

"Yes, uncle it's me." Great-red could help but pinch himself in the cheek, praying that this was not some type of dream. How ironic for the dragon of dreams to wonder whether or not he delved into the realm of his powers but that showed just how shocked he really was. Seeing that she was real caused his dam to break as he bolted towards her with tears falling from his face. Déjà vu for the second time for Akeno but she did not mind it one bit. It showed just how much her aunt and uncle loved her and missed her all these years.

"**I can't believe this. There are no words to describe how happy and relieved I am to know that you are alive. But… how and where have you been all these years?**" Great-red really wanted an answer to those questions. The day Shuri and Akeno died, he searched desperately for them but found no signs of them.

"I was going to tell aunty Ophis everything that has happened but now that you are here, I can tell you what happened as well." She took a deep breath and revealed her past to them. Pretty much the same thing she told Issei. From the time of the incident to her time spent wondering the country in order to survive until now. Except this time, she made sure to explain that Rias is a wonderful person and so is everyone else. The last thing she needed was for two angry dragon gods to rain hell upon the underworld itself for turning her into an unwilling devil. Overall, she managed to recount everything and did not leave a single detail behind. Unfortunately, like Issei, it absolutely broke their hearts to know that she had spent so many years by herself and not only had they done nothing to help but they had been having fun the whole time while she was busy scrapping by to survive. Great-red looked down on the floor in shame while Ophis had covered her mouth with her hands, fresh new tears dripping down.

"We should have looked harder. How can I ever look Shuri in the eye, knowing I let her daughter wonder seamlessly by herself all those years… I'm so so sorry" Ophis said but whether it was an apology to Shuri, Akeno or both was not known as she was interrupted by Akeno who gripped her hand.

"There is nothing for you to be sorry about aunty. You could not have known. Issei already explained what happened back then. You were to busy taking care of Issei and you couldn't risk exposure to the world which is why you needed to remain hidden from sight. I do not blame you, any of you for what happened any longer. I'm just happy to have finally been reunited with all of you." She explained to them to the best of her ability.

"oh sweetie, I love you so much and again, I'm so sorry you had to go through such hardships by yourself." Wept Ophis.

Akeno smiled "I love you too Ophis." They both hugged each other once more before Great-red suddenly remembered.

"**We need to tell Barakiel about this. He will be so ecstatic that you are alive.**" Said an excited Great-red, ready to leave in order to relay the excellent news to his friend in the hopes of rekindling his fire so to speak. Like father, like son I suppose. Their first thought was to immediately inform their fallen friend who endured as much suffering, if not, even more, than them throughout the years. However, before he could do so, he was stopped by Akeno who gripped his shirt.

"Please wait uncle" she shouted causing Great-red to stop and look back at her waiting for her to answer.

"I'm… not ready to see him." She muttered but with enhanced hearing they could all hear her so Great-red asked her

"**Why?... All this time Barakiel has suffered alone, constantly blaming himself for what happened to you and no matter what any of us did, we were not able to ease his pain. It hurt so much to see my friend in such a state. He became a show of his former self, barely smiling anymore and honestly, if it hadn't been for Issei, I fear we might have lost him after his… suicide attempt.**"

"I know it isn't fair. Like I told Issei before, my head understands that it wasn't anyone's fault for the events that occurred that day but my heart… still can't accept it. Just… please give me a bit more time to sort this out" she responded sadly. Great-red really wanted to try and convince her otherwise but he could see the pained look on her face and the last thing he wanted was to make things worse after finally being reunited so he sighed in defeat.

"**Very well Akeno. I will respect your wishes even though it goes against my better judgement.**" Great red let go that last bit. Once again, like father, like son.

"I know uncle and I am sorry" she then took out what seemed to be an envelope.

"but as a compromise, can you please hand him this for me. You can go ahead and tell him it is from me. Maybe one day, when I can finally let go of the past, I will be able to go see him. Can you do that for me uncle?" she asked Great-red who took the envelope from her.

"**Very well. At the very least it will help alleviate his sorrow knowing that you are alive.**" Sighed Great-red. With that the conversation ended and Ophis decided to ask Akeno to stay for dinner.

"Akeno-chan, I would love it if you could stay over for dinner. I made a lot of food and we would love your company."

"**Yes, we would love to have you join us and, at the same time, we can finally all celebrate Issei's birthday together as a family.**" added great-red sporting an enormous grin on his face but happy nonetheless. This was shared by Issei who awaited anxiously to hear Akeno's answer. She simply smiled and accepted their offer.

"Of course, I would to join you. I would not miss this for the world."

They all sat down around the table and enjoyed a meal as a family. All of them sharing stories about their lives. Great-red talked a lot about the times he spent in the dragon territory as well as the times he spent with Barakiel. Ophis talked about how almost all the baby dragons in Tannin's territory loved to hang around her that she ended up deciding to take care of them whenever she could. Not that she minded, since it reminded her of the times, she took care of Issei as a baby and she loved every second of it. Every other mother felt horrible letting the dragon god of infinity taking care of their younglings which should be their responsibility but Ophis assured them that she did not mind in the slightest and would be happy to do it. Eventually, it led to all of them becoming great friends, each of them talking about how they raised their younglings. Many mothers even discussed with Ophis how their other children adored her son and respected his strength which caused Ophis untold happiness. This was exactly what she needed. After Shuri died, she felt devastated having lost her very first friend and being powerless to stop it but after transferring to the dragon territory, she had slowly but surely regained her happiness and although there is no way to fill the void left behind by Shuri, she was at least able to recover from her sorrows and make new friends. They all formed such a tight nicked group that they eventually all took care of their younglings together, something they had never done before since it was typically of mother's to raise them by themselves until they are old enough to receive training from Tannin and his captains. All in all, Ophis spent a wonderful time with all of them.

Issei continued to talk about all the training he went through with Tannin, his parents and the others. All the lessons he learned from them. He also talked about all of his failed attempts at mastering his powers and the consequences that came with them, mostly everything blowing up in his face and injuring him. Everyone had a laugh at his expense but it was a wonderful time that he wold never trade for anything. He also told his parents about his confession to Akeno which earned them both a massive congratulations from his parents as they both hugged him and Akeno. Although they both thought "_finally/it's about time_" because they already knew about their feelings for one another ages ago. Even Akeno's parents knew and no doubt would support their relationship 100%.

Akeno went ahead and talked about a lot of the things she did after she became a devil. From the contracts she performed to the amount of stray devil she cleansed alongside her friends. She mentioned how amazing each of Rias peerage member is and how they each possessed a few quirks of their own. She did this mostly to assuage any worry Great-red and Ophis may have about the group which seemed to work.

Eventually, they finished eating and it was time for Akeno to go home. Ophis offered her to stay for the night but she refused on the grounds that she had a few things to take care of but thanked her nonetheless. They all gathered at the door to see her off.

"Thank you for the amazing dinner. I had a wonderful time." Akeno started which was followed by Ophis.

"It was no problem sweetie. It is always a pleasure to have you with us and that is never going to chance. Remember that you are always welcomed here so please drop by for a visit whenever you can."

"**She's right. I can speak for all of us when I say that today has been the biggest blessing and greatest joy, we have ever had in all these years. Hell, I've never seen Issei this happy in a long time so please, don't be a stranger and come by anytime you wish**." followed Great-red earning him a blush from Issei and a smile from Akeno who nodded her head.

"Of course, uncle." She then turned her attention towards Issei who moved forward and embraced her. An embrace she gladly returned.

"Thank you for being with us today. I can honestly say that today has been the best birthday I've ever had in a long time and it was you who made it all possible." He said causing Akeno to blush at his honesty.

"ufufu, your very welcome Issei-kun. I haven't had this much fun in a long time myself. I missed spending time with you like in our past and I am glad that we were able to do so again." She answered him. Issei lifted his hand and rubbed her cheek affectionately. She leaned into his hand and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth spread by his affectionate touch.

"I love you Akeno." He said to which she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I love you to Issei". They shared another kiss between them. Behind them, they could hear sounds of whistling. The likely perpetrator being great-red but at the moment they did not care and only focused on basking in each others presence as they shared their kiss. When they separated, Akeno took her coat and proceeded to leave the house. After walking a few steps, she looked back to see them waving goodbye at her. She returned their wave and continued her way back home.

After her form disappeared into the distance, Issei and his parents went back inside their house.

"**So… when can expect grandkids, Issei**" His father suddenly dropped a bombshell catching Issei totally by surprise.

"cough… cough… what… dad, where did that come from?" coughed Issei. His father laughed at his reaction

"**HAHAHAHA, you should see your expression Issei. It's priceless**." Grinned his father wiping a stray tear from his face.

"**but, seriously when can we expect grandkids from you and Akeno**." He actually meant that seriously. Issei thought he said it as a joke but it seemed otherwise.

"Wha… how can you ask me something like that. I… I mean we… are not ready for that. Besides we just entered a relationship. That does not mean we will go straight to making kids, dad." Issei tried to argue but his father would not relent.

"**Oh come on Issei. Both of you love each other very much so I'm sure she won't mind if you ask her. Besides, you saw Akeno. She has grown up to be a beautiful young woman. Don't tell me that when you saw her, you did not want to claim her then and there**?" questioned Great-red using his elbow to poke Issei. Issei wanted to refute his argument but realized he could not. It was true that when he saw Akeno, there was this instinctual need to claim her and never let go.

"I want grandkids as well." Interjected Ophis, once again catching him completely by surprise, more so from the fact that she actually AGREED with his father on this.

"Not you too mom" sighed Issei.

"Eventually, I would love to have kids of my own but we just got reunited after all these years. I want to treasure this time with her and let things run its course" he said, a tone of innocence present in his speech. Despite having lived through hellish training and becoming very powerful, he still retained a sense of innocence within him which his parents did not mind. Seeing his sincerity, his parents decided to let things go. Besides, they were never going to force Issei to do something he didn't want. Great-red moved forward and rubbed his son **hair**.

"**hahaha, don't worry son. We were only kidding. You should take things at your own pace. We only want what is best for you and her. Anyways I need to go deliver this**" he lifted the envelop currently in his hand "**to our dear friend. With any luck, this will finally be able to bring him closure and bring him back to who he once was. Happy birthday my son and I wish you a pleasant good night**" Great-red kissed his son's forehead and rubbed his hair one last time before he teleported out of the room.

It was Ophis turn to wish him good night.

"Happy seventeenth birthday my sweet little Issei. I love you so very much and I only wish for nothing but the very best for you." Ophis embraced her son and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Issei could do nothing but smile at his mother's love of him and not only returned her embraced but also gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you so much mom. You are the best mother a dragon could ever hope for and I love you more than anything in this world." The passion in his voice reached her core as she could not help but let out a few tears.

"Thank you Issei. Good night son!"

"Good night mom." Ophis went to clean up the kitchen while Issei went straight to his room. Today was a long but very fulfilling day. Honestly, it felt as though the world had finally rewarded him after all the hardships he'd been through all these years and he could not have been any happier than he was today, of all days. His birthday has been a constant reminder of what he lost that day and now… he could finally enjoy the day as it is meant to be. A day filled with nothing but happiness and celebration with the people closest to him. He went to bed with one thought on his mind "_Best birthday, ever_" before drifting off to what seemed like the best sleep he had ever gotten in his life.

* * *

(Grigory)

The hallways at the Grigori headquarters was bursting with activity from various fallen angels taking care of their own assignments. In one such offices lay Barakiel who was busy reading up on a report given to him by his subordinates that was standing in front him right now. After carefully reading his report, Barakiel sighed leaning over his chair contemplating it's contents.

"Is the report actually true." Barakiel needed to make sure that the contents of the report had any merit because what it implied is very serious and could have very harsh consequences for Grigori.

"Yes sir, at least according to Azazel-sama. He instructed me to notify all the leaders in secret in order to eliminate any possible chance of information leak." He answered.

"I see. Besides me, who else have you contacted?"

"Other than Azazel-sama and you, I've already informed Shemhazai-sama, Armaros-sama and Sahariel-sama."

"very well, in that case i will not keep you here. You may go and let the rest of the cadres know of this. Good work!" he said as he stood up and handed the report back to the officer who took it once more.

"Sir" he saluted and left the room. When he did, Barakiel immediately seated himself once more, rubbing his forehead, distressed from the news he received. He was really hoping the contents of the report were false because those allegations against who he considered a brother were very serious.

"**Did I come at a bad time**?" Barakiel heard a familiar voice say as he turned his head towards the source.

"Red-san!" he got up from his seat and made his way towards Great-red. a small smile breached his lips at the sight of his old friend who grinned at him.

"**It's great to see you my friend. It has been quite a while hasn't it**" Great-red greeted Barakiel as they both shared a hug.

"Yess indeed it has been. You are quite the sight for sore eyes, my friend." Barakiel answered.

"**Oh, does that have anything to do with why you looked so distressed**?" great-red asked causing Barakiel to sigh as he made his way back to his seat.

"Yes, it has. I've just gotten a report from Azazel that there is a high possibility that Kokabiel is betraying us." It took a while before Great-red remembered who he was talking about.

"**Ah, you mean that fallen warmonger you kept mentioning**." Earning a nod from Barakiel conforming his answer.

"Yes, that very same one. It seems he is planning something to can possibly become the catalyst for another Great war. I still cannot understand why he would want to restart such a thing. Millions of fallen angels died fighting in that bloody war. So many brothers and sisters perished one after another and in the end, it was really for nothing but pride and hatred. If we had not come to a ceasefire when we did then our society would have become extinct. Yet, Kokabiel does not understand that. He kept spewing things about fallen angel supremacy and honestly believed that had we kept fighting; we would have come out victorious. If we had continued in that war, the only thing that was guaranteed was the extinction of our race even at the cost of victory but he simply would not listen to us. We should have noticed the signs so long ago but because he was our brother in arms who fought side by side with us, we wanted to give him a chance… We thought that if we gave him enough time, he would eventually come to understand that serves nothing but claiming innocent lives. Unfortunately, it would seem that he had never chanced any of his beliefs and now it seems, he is planning to act on them." Explained a very agitated Barakiel. Why couldn't his brother understand that their race have no future should they go to war once more.

Seeing his friend so afflicted, Great-red moved in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"**You should not blame yourself for the folly of your brother. All of you have tried everything in order to make him see sense, yet he would not listen. I can tell you right now, that his dreams are filled with nothing but war and death. As the saying goes 'it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks' and Kokabiel in too far gone to learn how to appreciate peace. You've done all you can so you do not need to carry this burden on your shoulders when you already have so much going on your plate**." Great-red did his best to try and cheer him up and it seemed to be working based on Barakiel's relaxed posture.

"Thank you, my friend. I needed that and I guess you are right. Anyways, I do not believe you came by just to listen to my problems so what's up?". Great-red recomposed himself, remembering what he initially came to do and so grinned at Barakiel.

"**I came to deliver some excellent news**." He said very excitingly.

"Oh!" Barakiel raised a brow thinking what news Great-red could bring. Usually any news is usually involving his nephew Issei and like a lightning bolt he suddenly remembered.

"Is this about Issei birthday? Did he, receive the present I bought him. Sorry that I could not make it to his celebration. As you saw, I had a lot of stuff to take care of but please wish him well on my part."

Great-red crossed his arms and answered

"**hmm, in a way the news does involve his birthday and he did receive your present, although he will probably open them tomorrow concerning what happened today**." He said. This did cause a bit of worry to sprout from Barakiel, thinking something might have happened to Issei.

"Is everything alright with Issei?" Great red shook his head.

"**Oh, do not worry my friend. In fact, quite the opposite, everything is perfect but before I tell you, you will need to be seated for this and you must promise me not to over react**" Great-red stated as he pointed towards Barakiel's seat and waited for him to be seated. Barakiel, not understanding what he meant decided to comply with his request. What news could possibly make him overreact, unless something did happen to Issei which is not possible because, one, the world is still in one piece and second, no way would Great-red be grinning and acting all excited over something tragic.

Once seated, Great-red sat down in front of the cadre Fallen Angel.

"**You know that I do not like to beat around the bush so I'll just come out and say it… Akeno is alive**" he revealed waiting for the cadre's reaction,

Barakiel sat there frozen when he heard the news, not sure if he comprehended correctly what Great-red just said.

"Wha…What did you… just say" he stuttered.

"**You heard me! I said Akeno is alive and well**" he repeated. There is no way in hell Great-red would ever lie about something as important as this but at the same time, such a thing was impossible. He saw a massive pillar of lightning destroying his home with Akeno inside of it with no possible method of escape.

"… How… I saw the shrine get destroyed in front of my very eyes Red and I know for a fact that Akeno was inside the building when it was destroyed. There is just… no way. We even searched the premises for any signs of survivors but we could never find them."

"**I do not know and neither does she but it does not change the fact that she is alive. It is nothing short of a miracle but one that I will gladly take in this case. She is back Barakiel**". It took a moment for the notion to sink into his head. A multitude of emotions were swirling inside of him. Sorrow, confusion, happiness and many other conflicting emotions. However, eventually the idea that he could finally be reunited with his daughter trumped every other emotion he could be feeling. He suddenly got up from his chair and bombarded Great red with a series of questions.

"How is she? Where is she? Is she alright? Where has she been all these years. I need to go see her right now" he started shouting but before he could leave to see her, he was stopped by great-red who grabbed his arm

"**WAIT Barakiel**!" he shouted earning him a look of confusion as well as a bit of anger from Barakiel.

"Why are you stopping me Red? I need to go see my daughter. I need to hold her in my arms and apologize to her for everything. You know I need this so why are you stopping me?" asked a very frantic Barakiel. He finally has the chance to see his daughter, something he never dreamed was possible until now and yet, one of his closest friends is denying him the chance to do so. He was starting to get a bit angry which showed in his features. However, Great-red remained undisturbed in his decision since he had a valid reason to stop him.

"**I am stopping you for both your sakes. If you go to her now, you will cause an even greater rift to get in between the both of you. She told me to tell you that she is not ready to see you yet**." Explained Great-red earning him confused stare by his friend

"What do you mean?" Barakiel asked. Great-red then started talking about Akeno's past and everything she had been though since then leading up to now. To say that Barakiel was shocked would be an understatement. He could not believe he allowed his daughter to go through such hardships. Great-red continued

"**Akeno still carries a bit of resentment inside her heart when it comes to you or any fallen angels which is why she asked us to give her more time to process things**."

"I see. Not that I can blame her though. It was my fault that she had to suffer through the pain of watching her mother die in front of her. I should have been there to protect them." He whimpered. Seeing his friend about to cry made Great-red grip his friends shoulder even tighter.

"**Listen to me, I've said it before and I will say it again as many times as I need to. What happened that day is NOT YOUR FAULT. You could not have possibly known that your family was being targeted and you were busy helping your faction. I know for a fact that Shuri would never blame you for helping your friends. Even after all these years, Akeno is trying to forgive you in order to move on from the past. Just… give her a bit of time and I am sure there will come a day where you can be reunited with your daughter. Until then, I vow to you that I will look after her, in your stead, and make sure nothing befalls her this time. You have my word that I will personally eliminate any threat that even dares to lift a finger against her. Screw the consequences and I am sure that my wife will agree with me on this.**" He said with absolute determination. In front of such resolution, Barakiel could do nothing but accept it.

"Thank you… so much. Please take good care of her. I swear I will never forget this." Barakiel thanked him from the bottom of his heart.

"**Anytime, my friend and I have something for you**." He took out a simple envelope from his pocket and handed it to Barakiel.

"**This letter is from your daughter. She asked me to give this to you before she left our home. I haven't read its contents because it was meant for you but I'm pretty sure it contains all of her feelings and most likely other things she wishes to share with you.**"

"Thank you" he said he took the letter into his hands very carefully.

"**No problem. Anyways, it is time for me to head home. It has been a long day and I could use a good night sleep**." He said with a loud yawn illustrating his point. Barakiel did not want to keep him waiting so he offered his deepest gratitude once again and a good night as they both shook hands.

After Great-red made his peace and having delivered Akeno's letter, he teleported back home, leaving Barakiel to his business.

Looking at the letter, Barakiel steeled himself for what his daughter might have written him. He opened the letter and began to read its contents.

_Dear Barakiel_

_It's been many years since I've seen you or heard from you. Not since the day mother died, have we seen each other. I want to start by apologizing to you for blaming you for mother's death. I understand that it was not your fault. You left because many lives were at stake and you needed to help your friend. It was purely chance that allowed your enemies to find us._

_When mother died, I blamed you because of my young irrational mind. I needed someone to blame because if I did not then I feared for my own mental state. In a single moment, my life had been ripped apart as I had lost mother and our peaceful life. It had been everything to me, yet in mere moments, it was all wrenched away. In my weaken mental state, I not only unjustly blamed you but even Issei-kun, a man who I had loved since childhood for the tragedy that had occurred. Since that day, I wondered throughout Japan making use of my ability to purify evil spirits that i learned from mother in order to scrape by and eventually, I became a devil under the Gremory House. It's actually been wonderful, if you're worried. Unlike others, the Gremory Clan is loving and treated me like a child of their family. Rias had become my closest friend and i decided to become her Queen in order to repay everything she had ever done for me so please do not worry for my well being. If that is not enough, I met with aunty Ophis and uncle Red and you know how they treat me as their own daughter so at least you can take comfort in the fact that I am in good hands._

_I want to say sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Father. I know that I hurt you greatly with my words and by cutting you out of my life. I wish I could turn back time to reclaim our old lives but I can't. I've decided that I must learn to live with my choices and though I can't take back what I've said, I want to put them away and say this. I would like for us to be family again. I want to mend the ties that I cut. I want to be your daughter again. Unfortunately, as long as I still carry these feelings of resentment towards you, we will never truly be able to move on and be together which is why I am asking you to give me a bit more time. Enough time for my heart to heal so we may be able to start fresh. I know that you probably want to see me now more than ever but for both our sakes I am asking you to give me the necessary space until I can finally move on because the truth is… I want to be your daughter again. I want to see my father again so please wait for me. _

_From your daughter,_

_Akeno_

Touched by the words of his daughter, Barakiel's eyes watered as fresh new tears began to fall. For years, he believed his daughter to be dead but what was even worse was that he believed she died resenting him. That very thought broke his heart more than anything and throughout the years, it kept plaguing him over and over again, despite all the support he received from his friends and family. However, by some divine miracle his daughter had not only survived the blast but it seems that she is trying her best to forgive him and repair their parent-child relationship, something he dreaded would never happen. If he could, he would want to rewind time in order to get his wife back and make it so his family bonds still existed.

He looked to his left where a picture of his wife lay in the corner of his office. He moved to pick it up, gently rubbing its surface.

"_Shuri, not a day goes by that I don't miss you. How I wish I could go back in time and take your place. You protected our daughter at the cost of your life, something that should have been my responsibility to begin with. I lost you both that day and I always blamed myself for your deaths. What made it even worse was the thought that your death was all in vain but now… our daughter is alive and well. I finally have the chance to make amends for my past mistakes. I swear to you Shuri, that this time, I will do everything in my power to protect our most sacred treasure. So, please watch over us from the heavens above and know she is in good hands_."

With renewed determination, he made a vow to his late wife that he would make things right again. He then noticed that part of his hand was covering another message from his daughter.

_P.S Issei and I confessed our feelings for one another :P_

A moment of silence ensued, until the sound of laughter and joy could be heard from within his office. For the first time in a long time, Barakiel was able to laugh from the bottom of his heart.

"_you were right Shuri… you are always right._"

He remembered how his wife was the first of all of them to declare that the two of them would end up with each other and sure enough it seems that not even death could separate those two. For what seemed like an eternity, Barakiel was able to end his day with a bright smile on his face. His fragmented heart had finally begun to meld itself back together.

Chapter end.

**As usual Review or PM me if you wish and see you all next time**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello everyone. I hope you are all taking care of yourselves during this time. This corona virus has become a huge issue so I hope you are all well.**

**As a result of this virus, my workplace has been closed until further notice which gave me more time to finally work on my story as well as school so that is at least some good news.**

**Anyways, before we begin, as usual I would like to thank all of my readers for sticking with my story. I saw that my story has exceeded 500 fav and followers. I'm so freaking happy that so many people like it. **

**I'm hoping to be able to achieve 1000 fav or follows. I look forward to the day that my story receives such attention. **

**I managed to write 2 chapters but I decided to combine both of them because you guys deserve it so on with the story and I hope you all enjoy it.**

Next morning, Issei awoke feeling refreshed and relaxed for the first time in a long time due to the simple fact that Akeno was alive and well. He could barely contain his excitement, although it grinded to a halt when he recalled his conversation with Akeno the previous day about how she did not wish to meet Barakiel yet due to the fact that she did not possess the courage or fortitude to face him. However, it did give him a bit of solace that she was trying her best to move forward with her life and is attempting her best to forgive her father. That is why he decided to adhere to her wishes and give her all the time she needed, although it did not stop him from hoping that it would occur sooner rather than later. Only time will tell.

Speaking of time, looking at his clock, Issei decided that it was time to get ready for school. He put on his uniform and made his way down to get breakfast. In the kitchen, he spotted his mother cooking what seemed to smell like eggs and bacon while his father was comfortably sitting on the sofa watching TV.

"**Good morning, son**!" Great red said without so much as turning around, having already sensed his son coming down, in contrast to Ophis who turned around to greet him with a warm smile.

"Morning Issei! Breakfast will be ready shortly so you can take a seat or join your father until it is ready." Issei decided to take his mother's advice and went to sit with his dad until breakfast was done. His father scooted over a bit from his seat to give Issei some space to sit which he did shortly after.

"**How are you doing today**?" Great-red started the conversation but he could already tell by his son's brightened expression what the answer to his question was.

"I'm feeling great dad. Better than I have in ages." Issei responded which earned him a heartened laugh from his father.

"**hahaha, geez I wonder why that could be**?" he joked since the reason was crystal clear. If anything, all of them were in high spirits due to the pleasant surprise that is Akeno. It felt as though a massive void within themselves had finally been filled and although they were heartbroken to learn that Shuri did not manage to survive, they were at least extremely grateful to have finally been reunited with who they considered family but none moreso than issei himself who was reunited with his mate.

"Breakfast is ready so you can continue your conversation in the kitchen!" Ophis interjected letting them know that breakfast was ready. They both stood up and made their way to the kitchen, each taking a seat opposite to one another so they could continue talking face to face.

"Thanks for the food." They both said as Ophis took her seat next to Great-red and they all started eating. They all starting talking and eventually their conversation moved towards Akeno.

"**I have to say, Akeno grew up to be a fine woman, wouldn't you agree?**" Great-red stated.

"Yes, she has. In fact, she is starting to look a lot like Shuri" Ophis gave out a smile at the thought of her friend and it was true that Akeno looks almost identical to her mother with the exception of their eyes to tell them apart. Issei also nodded his head, agreeing with his mother although he was a bit embarrassed to admit that there was also something else, he noticed that differentiated them apart. Her umm chest was quite bigger than her mothers not that he would ever admit it out loud to his parents. The perks of being part fallen angel he theorizes. Unfortunately, it seems his father had different intentions.

"**Indeed, although there are some parts of Akeno-chan that surpassed even her mothers, wouldn't you agree Issei**?" Great-red smirk was all Issei needed to understand what he was talking about causing a small blush to rise to the surface although he attempted to hide it.

"huh… w what are you talking about?" unfortunately, he could not do anything but stutter at his father which caused his smirk to widen even further.

"**hahaha, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't think I did not see you ogle from time to time Akeno's chest yesterday**." Great-red laughed at his son's expense who sported an even bigger blush than before.

"Daaaaaad" Issei screamed in embarrassment.

"**ahh… I don't see what the problem is sport. You are a boy and there is no shame in desiring the opposite sex. That is something every race share in common with one another so you should not feel embarrassed about it. Furthermore, you are a dragon and lusting for your mate is completely naturel**." He explained hoping to calm him down rationally; unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. He simply his face behind his hands in shame of looking at Akeno like that, believing she deserved more than that. Ophis decided to add her own two cents.

"In this occasion, your father is right, Issei. You should feel ashamed for having such thoughts. If anything, it only proves how much you love her and all your attention is directed towards her, so cheer up." In contrast to his father, Ophis seemed to have succeeded in calming him down. Mothers always know what to say and do, especially when it involves their children.

"I guess… you are right." Seeing Issei calming down, they all resumed eating before Great-red had something to add.

"**So, I told Barakiel about Akeno**" Great-red suddenly dropped a bombshell causing them to recoil in surprise. Ophis was the first to question him.

"When did you go to see him?" Issei also nodded wanting to know the answer to that question.

"**Yesterday night, after Akeno-chan left our house. I left for Grigori to let him know about her survival and at the same time, deliver Akeno's letter to him.**" He answered.

"Why didn't you bring me with you? I could have joined you to see him" his mate asked, curious why he didn't ask her. Great-red scooped up his last piece of ham as he answered her

"**Well, it was getting late and I wanted to deliver the good news to him as soon as possible so I left immediately after Akeno-chan left. Sorry**."

Ophis simply shook her head "No, it's alright. I understand!". After his mom answered, Issei decided to but in.

"How was he… after you told him?" Issei asked wondering about the state of his uncle after he learned about his daughter. Great-red simply shrugged before answering

"**Well, he reacted just about how I expected. At first, he felt relief at the fact that his daughter was alive. I have to say that it was the most emotion I had ever seen come out of him in recent times. Unfortunately, he shifted into anger when I told him that he could not, or rather should not, see her. I can't really blame him since I would have reacted the same way if it were me but I was able to calm him down after I was able to explain the situation to him. He was sad that Akeno resented him but at the same time could not blame her since he too felt responsible for the death of his wife. I reassured him, many times, that no one blames him for what occurred and that even Shuri would never blame him for this. He seemed to have calmed down after I stated that Akeno simply needed time in order to come to terms with her emotions and that even she admitted that she wanted to forgive him. I then passed him Akeno's letter directly and wished him a good night. I'm pretty sure he must have read it by now so I'm pretty sure he is beyond himself with the thought that his daughter has not forsaken him yet.**"

After his father finished talking, Issei relaxed back into his chair, breathing a small sigh of relief at the potential recovery of his uncle. Looking at the time, he decided it was time for him to head for school, less he be late. So, he got up from his seat and prepared to leave but not before telling his parents.

"Alright then, I'm off to school. I'm probably going to be late if I don't leave now. Thanks for the meal mom. It was delicious, as always. See you two later." He waved them goodbye as he made his way to the entrance.

"**Alright son. See you soon… although it seems that a certain somebody has come to pick you up**" he smirked, having been able to sense a certain someone making her way their house. He had to appreciate her taking the time to come and see them. Issei pondered what his father meant until he also sensed a very familiar presence just outside his residence causing a surge of happiness to appear on his face as he opened his front door only to be greeted with a smile by that very same person.

"Good morning, Akeno" Issei beamed at her brightly, making her blush.

"Good morning, Issei." Akeno returned the smile as she made her way towards him and embraced him in a hug.

Seeing Akeno at their doorstep, Ophis and Great-red made their way to greet her as well.

"**Morning Akeno!**" "Good morning Akeno-chan" they both said. Akeno smiled and greeted them back.

"Good Morning Ophis Oba-san and Great red Oji-san. How are you two doing today?"

"We are doing fine. Thank you for asking." Ophis was the first to answer Akeno's question as she returned her smile.

"**Indeed. It is good to see you this morning.**" Great-red followed after her with a greetings of his own.

"**Did you come to pick up our little boy here**." He added ruffling his son's hair while smirking.

"Dad!" shouted a flustered Issei who pushed his dad's hand away. This earned a laugh from Akeno who then proceeded to answer.

"Yes, I have. I was on my way to school and wanted to see if Issei would accompany me" she said earning a blush from Issei.

"Oh, thank you but you did not need to trouble yourself coming all the way here. I'm sure Issei could have joined up with you." Said Ophis.

"It's alright. I wanted to do this so it is no trouble." She answered.

"**How very thoughtful of you. Look at that Issei, she came to escort you to school. How lucky of you**." Great-red joked with his son which annoyed Issei.

"Dad, you don't need to say it like that." Great-red laughed.

"**hahaha, why not. It's not like you don't appreciate her gesture. In fact, during breakfast we discussed how you ogg… OW**" Great-red bent over in pain as he was interrupted by Ophis who elbowed his ribs, stopping him from saying unneeded things.

"ufufu, I see that uncle is still the same as ever." Seeing her uncle behave the way she remembered caused her to laugh remarking that some things never change and, in a way, she was very happy to see that. On the other hand, someone who was not happy about that was Ophis.

"I'm very sorry about that. This Baka-red has clearly never matured over the years and is still causing me headaches." Ophis covered her face with her hand while sighing at her husband's antics.

"Anyways you two better hurry otherwise you are going to be late for school." Ophis added. Both Issei and Akeno nodded their heads and bid farewell to both of them.

"**See… you… later. Ow that hurt Ophis**" wheezed out Great-red as he was massaging his ribs trying to sooth the pain.

* * *

As they were making their way to school, Akeno decided to wrap her arm against Issei's trying to initiate as much contact as possible with him. Feeling her very gifted chest pressing against his arm made him pause in thought.

'_Holy crap! They're so huge and soft_!" he thought mentally. He could not help but notice how much Akeno really grew up. His arm is ripped and yet her breasts seem to be able to envelop most if not almost all of his arm. That, in itself, surprised him greatly but at the same time he could not help but let out a small grin that luckily Akeno did not notice, less she decides to tease him all the way to school. What he did not know was that Akeno was also examining all the changes Issei has gone through over the years.

In the past, both she and Issei were approximately the same size; yet now, after several years of constant training, Issei grew leaps and bounds from what she remembered. He had definitely transformed into a man. Even though he was dressed up, she could practically see and feel how much his body has become stronger over the years. His muscles and biceps were big, his shoulders were broad and every other muscle has developed accordingly, yet he was not as bulky as a body builder. He was ripped. Another key difference that she immediately saw was their height difference. Before they were of even height but now there was almost half a head difference between them so now she had to look up to him, not that she minded since this was her Issei.

Realizing their idiotic expressions, both of them snapped themselves out of their mental rumbling.

"Issei, I didn't get to ask this before but… are you a third year?" Akeno looked at him with a hopeful expression.

"Unfortunately, not. I'm a second year." Issei responded, shaking his head negatively. Akeno looked saddened by the news.

"Oh!" she looked down gloomily. Issei instantly felt bad understanding that she was hoping to spend more time together. Issei exhaled thinking of something to say in order to cheer her up since he never liked seeing her depressed.

"Well, for what's its worth, at least we both found each other again after so long and now we can spend more time together, like the old days" Issei softly comforted her. Akeno's expression did lighten a little but she was still sad that they were not in the same class.

"I guess you are right and I also got to see where you live." Akeno found some solace in that thought but it prompted Issei to ask her.

"By the way, I forgot to ask you. Where do you currently live? Did Rias Gremory give you a place to stay or are you currently residing within the underworld and coming and going as you want?" Issei was very curious to know where she resided.

"Yes, Rias-buchou has given me an apartment to stay at. It is very comfortable and is located near our school so it is a short commute to and from home. Perhaps, you can come and visit." Akeno smiled seductively as she traced her finger across Issei hardened chest causing him to blush and look away from her.

'_When did she become so sexy and seductive_' he thought to himself. It was actually quite the irony for Issei since Akeno kept mentioning how she hates all fallen angels and yet, she keeps acting like one, not that he would ever mention it nor can he deny that he did not enjoy it. Curse his perverted mind. Shaking his head to snap himself out of his absent mindedness, Issei returned his attention towards Akeno.

"You know, you can always move back to the shrine whenever you want to. My family and I have been keeping it safe and clean but it is and always has been your home." Issei attempted to veer the conversation elsewhere which seemed to work as Akeno started pondering his statement.

"It's not that I don't want to… it's just…" She honestly did not mind going back to live at the shrine. If anything, she missed the place since that was the place that held so many fond memories of the times spent with her mother, family and Issei but at the same time it was the place where she lost everything in a single moment and add to the fact that her father might be living there as well is another cause for concern for her.

Seeing the saddened expression on her face, Issei grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with his own trying to sooth her as much as possible.

"Don't worry. Uncle Barakiel has been living in Grigori since the incident. My parents did offer him to move back into the shrine but he rejected, saying there were to many painful memories there and that there was no one to come home to anymore. Now he only went there to visit your graves and kept asking for your forgiveness for not being there when you needed it. It was… very heart-breaking not only for him but for all of us" he explained and she could tell that the last bit was said with more sorrow. She tenderly rubbed his hand wanting nothing more than to sooth him.

"I see. I guess I will think about it" she answered. Issei smiled as they continued their trip to school.

* * *

As they continued their approach to school, they started encountering several students who were surprised at seeing them together. The male students were glaring at issei with jealousy as they had noticed that he was walking hand in hand with one of the "Two Great Onee-samas" of the school as well as the fact that his arm was practically enveloped in her gifted busom which further increased their jealousy. The girls seemed to begin whispering amongst themselves but many of them were also jealous that Akeno was accompanying the new hot transfer student as they begun trying to bicker among themselves what their relationship was.

Seeing all the jealous stares being directed at her boyfriend as well as all the stares she received from the female gender caused her to chuckled, her inner sadism having kicked in. At the same time, she further pressed Issei arm into her chest as if she were making a claim that Issei was hers, something that many female students noticed.

Issei, however, did not really react much to all this. Let them all think what they want. If they got a problem with it, then they could take it up with him. Not that anyone would actually try given how powerful he was. What he didn't appreciate were the many male stares who were looking lustfully at Akeno causing him to growl internally. He unconsciously wrapped his hand around Akeno's shoulder and pulled her closer to his chest to paint a very clear picture. She's mine. Akeno, noticing this gesture seemed pleased by the very bright smile on her face. She found his possessiveness absolutely adorable and pleasing as well.

After entering the school, they had to part ways as they were in different classes. They separated from one another and Issei did not fail to notice Akeno's reluctance to do so as shown by how she very slowly separated from him.

"Don't worry, we can meet up after class if you want." He said trying to cheer her up. It seemed to work as her mood quickly shifted to one of happiness. It was time for her to go to class. No doubt Rias and the others would have a bunch of questions for her after she stormed out of the clubroom like that. She then thought about asking Issei to join her later.

"Issei, how about coming by the clubroom later?" she asked as she looked at him with puppy eyes hoping he would agree. Of course, after seeing those eyes, there was no way for him to decline.

'_Dammit, why does is she doing that?! She knows I can't say no to her'_ Issei complained. After sighing, he answered

"Sure, I'll join you after school." He had no choice but to oblige her. God dammit, she had him in the palm of her hands and she knows it. He then felt Akeno's hand press against his face as she quickly gave him a kiss on the lips, then twirled around heading towards her class but not before looking back and waving

"I'll see you soon, Issei-kun" he heard her say as she disappeared from his sight. His face still blushing from her action but he thought to himself '_WORTH IT!_'.

Unfortunately, his problems had only started as he made his way into his classroom, he was bombarded by questions by the other students.

"What is your relationship with Akeno-sama?"

"Are you both dating?"

"Lucky bastard!"

"I didn't know he and Akeno-Onee-sama knew each other?"

"Seems like they are dating. Did you see how Akeno-sama held him?"

The majority of the female students were mostly curious about their relationship while the male students were jealous of him. Some were also pissed off, but none of them dared to say something because they were scared to get beat up by him. Matsuda was actually one of the students that was both scared and jealous of Issei. He was scared because he was one of the only people who knew that Issei was in fact a member of the strongest species known to exist, a dragon and if what Ddraig had told them yesterday was true then he was more powerful then all of them combined which shook the core of everyone in the clubroom. So, when Akeno stormed off from the clubroom to go after Issei, everyone was extremely fearful for her safety and even though Rias did not mention it, everyone could tell from her worried state that she was praying to the Maous for her queen's safety and hoping Akeno would not do anything reckless. All that worry seemed useless when Akeno came hand in hand together with said dragon with the brightest expression they had ever seen on her before. No doubt Rias will try to probe her for answers and maybe invite Issei once more to their clubroom. This brings us to his jealous side. If the two are in fact dating, then of course he would be extremely jealous of Issei for dating one of the two Great One-samas of the school. Heck, everyone was jealous of Issei at the moment. Akeno is no doubt one of the hottest woman he had ever laid eyes on with a body that rivals that of Rias and if Motohama's reading was accurate, which it probably is, has a breast size that even exceeds Rias and is the only female in campus that possess a bust with triple digits. In fact, she was one of the women he was desperately hoping to have in his harem if possible. However, if she was indeed dating Issei, then that option was definitely off the table. Despite the fact that he is a massive pervert, he would never go after someone who was already taken not after what happened with his parents.

Case in point, he was still very jealous of his new classmate, but none more so than his friend Motohama who was practically screaming with rage in front of his face.

"DIE YOU."

Matsuda could tell that Issei was starting to get annoyed and was honestly a bit fearful for his friends' life. He tried to separate his friend from issei but to no avail.

"Hey man, I think you should calm down." Motohama was clearly not pleased and continued spouting insult after insult against Issei.

"Huh, no way! He has to answer us. How the hell did he seduce and ensnare of the two Great-Onee-samas of this school and on his first day no less. ITS NOT FAIR." Motohama shouted with comical tears flushing down his face. Issei, however, was starting to get a bit annoyed at his antics. He could understand the questions being directed at him, but this guy was taking things a bit too far.

"_This guy is really starting to annoy me. What the heck is his problem?_" Issei thought as he felt multiple veins popping on his forehead.

"Could you please get out of the way? Class is about to start." He said as politely as he could but from his tone, everyone could feel that he was starting to get pissed off.

Coming to the rescue were his female classmates who started shouting

"Hey, you two. Quit bothering Issei-kun with your shenanigans" one said pointing at both Motohama and Matsuda.

"That's right" Several others spoke at the same time.

"HUH, me too? I didn't do anything" shouted a surprised Matsuda since it was true. Sure, he was super jealous of Issei but he only tried to hold back his friend. No good deed goes unpunished and it seemed he just learned the meaning of it.

"IT'S NOT FAIR" Motohama was still screaming, still being held back by his friend. It took a while but soon, Motohama finally calmed down after Matsuda promised to lend him a very special magazine, he's been saving up causing the others to look at him in disgust knowing _exactly_ what type of magazine it was.

With a look of gratitude towards everyone, including Matsuda, he finally took a seat.

Off to the side, he noticed the blond devil boy, his name was… Kiba Yuuto if he recalled correctly, who nodded with a small bow of the head as if to both greet him as well as apologize for their classmate's antics. Issei simply smiled and returned his greeting with a nod of his own. He understood that teenagers would be teenagers. With a sigh, he got ready for lessons as they teacher entered class.

After the lessons ended, Issei made his way out of the classroom. Just as he exited, he noticed Akeno who was waiting near the entrance of his class with what seemed to be a package in her hands.

"Akeno? How come you are here? Is everything alright" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes, everything is fine Issei-kun. I just stopped by to ask if you wanted to have lunch together?" she said looking him in the eyes. He looked at the clock and sure enough it was indeed lunchtime.

"Oh it's lunchtime already." Issei could not believe how fast the time went by.

"Were you so busy daydreaming that you forgot what time lunch started?" Akeno giggled with what seemed to be a mock-scolding look.

"haha, it would seem so sempai." Issei decided to go along with her but then noticed her pouting.

"It's Akeno, you don't need to add sempai." She said as she bent over, giving Issei a clear view of her gifted breasts as they bounced.

"_Oh my god, I can't believe they bounce!_" he shouted happily in his mind.

"Okay, Akeno-chan" He called her the way he is used too. He really only called her sempai since they were in school and apparently that's how everyone treats those of higher grade.

For Akeno, it's not that she hated him calling her sempai but hearing him call her by her first name without any sort of honorific always made her happy because it showed how close they were to one another. Although… as a sempai, she could ask him to do… several things. Those thoughts made her blush as she grabbed Issei's wrist and decided to lead him to the roof to have their lunch.

"Let's go have lunch." When several people saw her behaving this way, they questioned the change in her characteristics. Normally, Akeno was graceful and calm, but at that moment, she was acting like an excited young lady who was… well… going out on a date and they had never seen her act like this before.

After sitting down, they both began to converse with one another as they ate. Most of the conversation was about everyone's reaction to them being together. Akeno found it funny while Issei was bothered by the constant questions. Seriously, why did everyone have to take interest in his personal or romantic life.

"By the way, are your friends alright with you being with me? I don't think I made a very good first impression when they introduced themselves to me and I could feel they perceived me more of a threat than anything, so I don't know how they reacted to you coming to school with me." Issei asked worriedly. He did not believe that Rias and her peerage had a very nice image of him especially after finding out he was a dragon. Despite doing their best to hide it, he could feel their fear rise when he told them his race. Dragons have always been feared for their strength and power and being faced with one of unknown origins is always scary so he couldn't really blame them for thinking like that.

Akeno interrupted his train of thought

"At first, they were worried. I did explain that you were a very nice person and that I knew you since childhood but it was when I told them that I would trust you with my life that they decided to relax a bit. Although, I'm pretty sure Rias is going to want to talk to you some more when you come by the clubroom." She said, taking another bite of her fried chicken.

Issei was taken by surprise when Akeno stated that she would trust him with her life. It was certainly unexpected but soon his surprise turned into inner joy because it showed how much Akeno faith and trust she placed on him.

"I see." He smiled before continuing "Did you tell them who my parents are, by any chance?" he asked the question on his mind. He wouldn't blame her even if she did tell them understanding that since she is part of a peerage, she would have to tell the truth. Even his parents wouldn't blame her. He knew that for a fact but he just wanted to ask her to see if she did. The response he got, however was different than what he thought.

"No!" she answered in a serious tone.

"I only told them that we were childhood friends and that our families used to spend a lot of time together. Rias accepted what I said and did not question me about your parent's identity. And even if she did… I would never reveal it without their permission. They trusted my family with their secret and I will never betray that trust" He could feel that she was speaking with absolute resolution. She would never reveal their identities even if Hell froze over.

He smiled at this. "I see" he said before slowly enveloping his hand with hers, their finger intertwining causing a blush to spur from Akeno

"Thank you, Akeno-chan. Like I said before, we do not really mind if you need to tell them about. I don't want to cause an unnecessary rift between you and your friends." He continued with what seemed to Akeno a tinge of worry. Akeno returned a smile

"You don't need to worry about that Issei-kun. Despite her curiosity, Rias is a very understandable person and would respect my decision for keeping what I know a secret. She is unlike most devils who would command their servants to obey. She treats us as a family and we treat her the same way. The others are also very trustworthy. They understand that everyone has a secret or two they wish to keep for themselves and they respect my privacy. It is why I treasure each and everyone of them." She explained to Issei. This seemed to calm his worry down a notch which was what she intended in the first place.

"Very well. If you trust them that much, then it is only fair that I give them the same courtesy. From what you told me, she saved your life when you were on the run, something that should have been our responsibility to begin with. I could never thank her and your friends enough from providing you with a home during all these years so, at the very least I would like to offer my gratitude to them when next we meet" he said.

"ufufu, Thank you Issei-kun". She reached out, extending one hand as she cupped his cheek, using said hand to bring him ever so closer. Both of their faces inching ever closer until their lips overlapped as they shared another kiss between them.

After separating, they both noticed that lunchtime was running out so they started packing their stuff. Akeno was the first to get up.

"I'll see you after school at the clubroom." she said leaving the premises as the end bell for lunch came.

* * *

Eventually, school ended and Issei made his way towards the old school building until he found himself outside the ORC clubroom.

"_Well, here we go_" he thought to himself taking a small breath, mentally preparing himself before he finally knocked on the door.

"Come in." He heard the voice of the Crimson Haired princess. Opening the door, Issei saw all of the ORC members waiting for him. Rias was seated in her office while Kiba was right behind her acting as her bodyguard. Kiba smiled and nodded to greet Issei, something he returned himself. He then spotted the mascot of Kuoh, Koneko Toujou sitting on the sofa eating her candies. Right across from her was Matsuda who was sprayed out on the sofa, tired from another day of school. Now that he got a good look at him, Issei could feel a very familiar energy coming from Matsuda. It resembled that of a dragon but was very faint.

'_A sacred gear, perhaps_?' he remembered Tannin's lessons about Sacred gears and recalled that some of them had beings sealed within them which allowed the user to use said beings power as their own. Although, those types of Sacred gears were the rarest and would most likely be a Longinus.

Before he could think of anything else, he felt his hand being pulled, wrenching him from his thoughts. He did not need to guess who it was as he saw a very familiar black haired yamato nadeshiko appearing before him.

"Welcome to our clubroom, Issei." Akeno smiled, as she led him inside. Everybody present, except Issei, were surprised when they saw how bubbly Akeno became. Akeno led Issei to be seated on the sofa next to Koneko.

"Please take a seat. I'll be right back ufufu" she winked at him as she entered the kitchen to prepare tea and snacks.

Watching their interaction caused everyone to relax. Although, they understood that he was an acquaintance of Akeno's, they could not help but feel a but scared considering his identity and the fact that he was very powerful. Rias smiled in relief when she noticed Akeno's cheery mood, if she could call it that. When she had run off from the clubroom to follow Issei, even though she told everyone not to worry, she could not help but be fearful that something was going to happen to Akeno so it was a major relief to see her back again. Not only that, she was acting as though she had the time of her life.

Rias looked at Issei as he sat quietly near her rook waiting patiently.

'_Akeno trusts this man with her life… so whoever he is, he cannot possibly be a bad guy_' she thought to herself.

"Good evening, Hyoudou Issei. Although my queen already welcomed you, it is only proper that I do so myself as the president of Occult Research Club. Therefore, I would like to welcome you to our humble abode." She welcomed him with a smile.

Issei turned his attention towards her in order to answer.

"Thank you very much Rias Gremory. I know that our last meeting did not go very well but you are all Akeno's friends and she trusts you all very much and that is enough for me to know that you are nice people. I look forward to getting to know you better and getting along with you all." He said bowing his head.

"Indeed. We also hope to get along with you Hyoudou Issei." She said politely.

"Since we are going to be friends, you don't need to call me by my full name. You can call me however you'd like since I do not mind." He suggested to her as well as her peerage and she decided to take him up on his offer.

"Very well, Issei-san."

Akeno soon brought out a few beverages and snacks. She immediately sat next to her crush, surprising everyone yet again.

"Now then Issei-san, before we begin, I would like to ask you if you would be interested in joining our club?" Rias offered him an invitation to her club. Issei was taken a back by her offer.

"Is something the matter?" she asked after seeing his surprised look.

"oh.. sorry, nothing's wrong. It's just… I did not expect you to invite so soon after meeting?" Issei expected her to first get to know him to see if he was trust worthy before even asking him to join.

"ufu, there's no need to be so shocked. It's true that under normal circumstances, I would take my time to find out if the person I'm inviting is trustworthy enough as well not a danger to me, my peerage and this city before allowing them to join. However, Akeno has already informed us that you were her childhood friend and that is enough for me to know that you are trustworthy. In addition, if all the rumors I hear going around the school are true, then the two of you are more than friends so I'm pretty sure, Akeno would love to have you here." She explained looking at her queen who blushed when she inferred their relationship. Rias could not help but giggle at her queens reactions, never having seen her like this.

Issei, for his part, understood her reasoning and to be truthful, he wanted to join the club in order to spend more time with Akeno. He had missed her terribly ever since he thought she died during the incident so he thought of this as a chance. In addition, he did not need to look to his side to know that Akeno was hoping for the very same thing. After of moment of thinking, he finally answered

"Very well, I will join. Please take care of me." Rias was very pleased with his response. Although she did not show it, she considered him a peerage candidate. Dragons were beings of immeasurable strength. They possessed overwhelming might. Their scales provided an impenetrable defense and they were largely resistant to many forms of magic. The fact that it took all 3 factions to suppress the 2 heavenly dragons illustrates the overwhelming might dragons can possess. Its no wonder that even the mightiest of Gods feared these creatures. It was this strength that she desperately wanted in her peerage for the future. On the other hand, Akeno was overwhelmed with joy as she embraced his arm. Issei simply smiled at her. Rias got up from her seat and made her way in front of him, lifting her hand for a handshake.

"In that case, once again, I welcome you issei Hyoudou to our club. It is a pleasure to have you on board." Issei also got up from his seat and returned the handshake. After they separated, Rias decided to reintroduce her members to Issei.

"Now that we got that out of the way, allow me re introduce all our members. Up first is my knight who attend your class so I'm pretty sure you are well acquainted already" she gestured towards her knight who approached Issei with his usual smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Issei-kun. Let's get along." He said offering a handshake which Issei gladly returned.

"Likewise, Kiba-san."

"Next is the rook of my peerage, Koneko Toujou." She gestured towards the school's mascot, sitting on the sofa. She was, as usual, busy munching on her sweet. Hearing Rias introduce her, she turned her focus to Issei.

"Hello" That was all she said before returning to eating her sweets.

"Not much of a talker, is she?" Issei remarked causing Kiba to giggle.

"Not really but the fact that you were able to get a single word out of her is an accomplishment in and of itself."

"At least, you got a hello… Koneko-chan keeps calling me pervert or disgusting" complained Matsuda.

"Is it because you are of the 'Perverted Duo' I Keep hearing about?" Issei questioned.

"Hey, everyone is entitled to their own interests. I happen to worship the woman body and I absolutely love breasts." Shouted Matsuda in excitement.

"pervert" replied Koneko.

"You see what I mean?" exclaimed an erratic Matsuda pointing at Koneko.

"Issei, this young man here is my pawn Matsuda Suzuki." Rias re-introduced her pawn. Issei nodded and like Kiba offered a handshake.

"Pleasure to meet you. Just so you know, I do not judge a person solely based on their interests." He offered a sincere smile. Matsuda returned his handshake but internally he was thinking '_Oh great, another Kiba_'. Matsuda then noticed that Issei seemed to examine him which confused the poor lad.

"Is something the matter? Do I have something on my face?" Matsuda asked.

"Oh sorry, I did not mean to stare. Its just that I'm sensing a draconic presence coming from you and I've been trying to figure out why that is?" he explained. An understanding expression came from Matsuda.

"I see. There is a very simple reason for that." He said then looking at Rias as if to ask permission if it was OK to tell him. Rias, understanding what he wanted to ask stepped forward.

"The presence you are feeling is due to the fact that Matsuda here is the current Sekiryuutei, wielder of the Longinus Boosted gear that hosts the soul of the Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig" she explained with a huge amount of pride. She was extremely proud of the fact that she had the current red dragon emperor in her peerage.

"Seriously!" Now that was very shocking news for Issei. He knew that Matsuda might have carried a sacred gear related to a dragon but he never expected it to be one of the two Heavenly dragons.

All of a sudden, a red gauntlet materialized on Matsuda's left arm and a powerful voice could be heard coming from it.

**["Greetings, young dragon. As you heard, I'm Ddraig, the red dragon emperor. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Issei Hyoudou"] **Ddraig introduced himself. It has been a while since he's seen one of his kin.

"It is an honour to meet the fabled Ddraig Y Gosh in person. I've heard lots of stories about the two heavenly dragons from my mentors." Issei bowed a bit towards the gauntlet as a sign of respect.

**["Well now. Despite being so young, you are definitely well mannered. Haven't seen that trait in a dragon in a long time. What have you heard about us?"]** Ddraig was impressed with his manners and asked him what the other dragons told him about them.

"Well, a lot of dragons I met idolize the two of you for your power and status. My mentors talked about all your accomplishments and praised your abilities, although…" Issei stopped wondering if he should tell him what his mother said about them.

Ddraig noticing his pause urged him to continue.

**["hmm, go on. Do not be scared to tell. I did ask for it after all"]**

Issei sighed and continued

"Well… my mother described you as two idiots who got into a pointless fight and got sealed in the progress" Issei revealed. Silence ensued in the room. That was basically an insult towards their rivalry that has been going on since ancient times and is still being fought through their hosts so no one had any idea how Ddraig would react to that.

…

His response was not expected.

["**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**"] Ddraig was laughing. Everyone was staring at the boosted gear in shock until Ddraig started to calm down.

**["haha huh. My apologies for that display. It's just that it has been so long since I've heard anyone have the guts to not only insult me but the white one as well. Your mother is quite the courageous dragon although I can't say I hate that in a woman."]** he said.

'_You wouldn't say that if you knew who my mother was_' was what Issei was thinking when Ddraig said that.

"Thanks for the compliment and even though she said that, she does admit that you both are in fact extremely powerful dragons". '_after her and Great-red_' he left out that part, less he reveals who his parents were.

**["In any case, it is a pleasure to meet a powerful dragon such as you, despite being so young. Oyy, partner, you would do well to learn a thing or two from him."]** Ddraig complained to Matsuda who flinched.

"What is that supposed to mean"

**["Exactly what I said partner. If you wish to become stronger, it would be a great idea to get him to train you. Like I told you before, the only way to train a dragon is with another dragon and you will never be able to reach your full potential unless you do that. Anyways, Hyoudou Issei, I look forward to seeing your potential as well."] **

"Thank you Ddraig and I hope not to disappoint" Issei and Ddraig smirked before Ddraig cancelled the connection and the boosted gear disappeared. With that out of the way, Rias got to her last member.

"And last but certainly not least is my Queen who there is no need to introduce since you are well acquainted already. Being my queen, Akeno is also my second in command as well as the Vice President of the Occult Research Club." She gestured towards Akeno who winked at him.

"So everyone is this clubroom is a member of your peerage?"

"Indeed they are. How much do you know of the devil's reincarnation system?" she asked.

"Not much really, only the fact that devils can reincarnate people as servants" he said scratching the back of his head for his lack of knowledge. At the time he was only interested in getting stronger so other lessons took a back seat. This earned him a small chuckle from Rias.

"ufu, I see. Would you like you learn about it?" she asked.

Issei thought about it for a moment and he decided 'why not'. It did not hurt to learn it and he was a bit curious how it worked. So he nodded his head.

"Sure" He took her offer.

"Very well then, Akeno!" Rias called Akeno who brought a chessboard from Behind Rias's desk. Rias then conjured up a bag, taking out a few red chess pieces and placing them on the board. Issei could tell right away that these were not ordinary pieces. Each of them seemed to radiate some type of power. While pondering on the subject, Rias finished placing all her pieces on the chessboard even though some were missing. She then begun to explain how to the devil's system worked to Issei.

"Now, before I can talk about the system, I need to go through a brief history of the current state of the underworld that led to the creation of our system. Do you mind?" She asked him before proceeding.

"Sure, please go ahead." Issei nodded

Hearing Issei's answer, Rias continued on.

"Thank you. Now as I'm sure you know or are at least aware of, there occurred a 'Great War' between the three powers consisting of us Devils who were led by the four original Great Maou, the fallen angels led by Azazel and his fellow Leaders of Grigori and finally the Angels led by the God of the Bible. We, the Devils, have been at war with the Fallen-Angels since ancient times. We have been fighting over the possession of the Underworld. The Underworld is split into two areas, one for Devils and one for Fallen-Angels. The Devils form pacts with humans in order to increase their strength while the Fallen-Angels, on the other hand, controlled humans to eliminate Devils. At some point during this conflict, the Angels under God's order, entered the fray in order to eliminate us, which creates the three forces. This has been going on since long ago. Essentially, this war was a long and dreadful one. Extreme losses were suffered by every side of the 'Three powers'. Angels, Fallen-Angels, and Devils all suffered devastating casualties. To the point in which we Devils lost all four of the original great Maou leading us and almost went extinct. As a result of these losses, an armistice between the three sides was struck, in order to avoid the outcome of destroying each other completely. However, the losses suffered by the Devils were much too substantial. A great majority of the Pure-blood Devils were extinguished, and around half of the 72 pillars went extinct. Our race was in jeopardy. This is what leads us to the creation of the Evil Piece system." Rias then picked up one of the chess pieces.

"The Evil Piece system was created by the current Maou Ajuka Beelzebub-sama. this Devil reincarnation system allows us Devils to reincarnate humans, and other beings, into becoming Devils, thereby expanding the population of our race. By placing these pieces and infusing our powers into the body of a person, it is possible to then reincarnate that being into a Devil. That then makes the Devil who reincarnated them their 'master', and the newly reincarnated Devil becomes the Devil's 'servant'. These chess pieces are the Evil pieces that the system is based off of. Every High-Class Devil is rewarded with these Evil pieces as a means of starting their own 'peerage'. This is the system which allowed us to avoid extinction."

"Ohh… amazing. Are there any restrictions to the system or can you reincarnate anyone?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him, although Rias did not mind much and was very pleased to see him interested in Devil matters.

"Indeed there are. The first thing is that Evil pieces are not able to reincarnate Gods or buddhas. I can only speculate it is due to the fact that they are way to powerful for the system to work on them. However, it is possible to reincarnate Demi-Gods as long as they are compatible with the evil piece used. This brings another point which is the fact that the strengths, talents, and skills of the being to be reincarnated plays a large role in determining how many pieces will be used for reincarnation. A good example is my very own pawn, Matsuda. Due to the fact that he is host to the Red dragon emperor, it took all eight of my pawns to reincarnate him. Other example of case's like this can be seen in my brother's peerage. Most of his members took multiple pieces in order to be reincarnated illustrating ow powerful they really were. It is also important to note that Evil Pieces cannot be used together so there is no way to reincarnate someone with let's say a rook and a bishop." Issei nodded illustrating that he was following everything she was saying.

"There are also special pieces known as Mutation pieces. Using a mutation piece allows you to reincarnate a person that would otherwise require several pieces. However, they are extremely rare and only 1 out of 10 devils possess a piece. I myself was fortunate enough to receive a mutated bishop when I acquired my evil pieces. That is about everything that I know of the Evil piece system. Ajuka-sama has stated that there are many hidden features installed within the pieces but it is up to us to discover them." Rias finished explaining, taking a sip of her tea.

"That's pretty cool, although is there a reason why Ajuka Beelzebub chose to model his system after chess? Why not model it after something that can give you more servants?"

Rias pondered a bit Issei's question before replying

"I believe he modeled it after chess due to his fascination with the game. In addition, the crystal from which the pieces are made take a very long time to process so it limited the amount of servants each devil could possess. At least, that is my take on it. Any more questions?" Issei shook his head negatively as Rias question

"Nope, you answered everything I wanted to know." He was looking around when he asked another shocking question.

"Does this mean that all the members currently here are your peerage because I could have sworn that I felt another presence in the floor below us." Issei asked catching everyone except Matsuda who sported a look of confusion, especially Rias by surprise. She never thought he could sense Gasper, despite him being sealed.

Should she tell him? Rias was debating with herself whether or not to reveal her last peerage member. She looked towards Akeno who nodded, letting her know that it was alright to tell him.

"Really, we have another member. I didn't know? Is it another Bishōjo" Matsuda asked excitingly letting his imagination run wild! Matsuda was the only one out of the peerage who did not know about Gasper's existence due to the fact that he was reincarnated very recently and not made aware of it.

With a sigh, she decided to reveal the truth. "huh… I'm surprised you were able to sense him from here despite the room being sealed. You are correct in your assumption Issei-san. The presence you are feeling is in fact my bishop. His name is Gasper Vladi and he is a half-vampire. Unfortunately, the circumstances revolving around him were quite complicated. Before you ask, the reason he is sealed below is due to the fact that he possesses great power that he is, unfortunately, not able to control which made him a danger to himself as well as other. Therefore, under my brother's orders, I was told to seal him until such a time came that I became strong enough to be able to handle his power." She explained. Having heard that the aforementioned bishop is a guy made Matsuda lose interest but he still payed attention to the details.

"Do you remember what I told you about Mutation pieces?" she asked to see if he recalled what she mentioned.

"Yes, I remember" Issei nodded remembering what she told him. He also recalled that she possessed a mutated bishop but he only saw one on the chessb… then it dawned on him.

"I see you caught on. Indeed, I had to use my mutated bishop on Gasper due to the power within him being to great for me to reincarnate with an ordinary bishop."

"But… doesn't that interfere with his duties as a member of your peerage if he is sealed all the time?" inquired a perplexed Issei

"Normally, it would. However, you would be surprised to know that Gasper has the most success out of all of us when it comes to making contracts by using his computer therefore his performance is not affected by the fact that he is sealed." She told him. Her tone exuding a bit of pride at her bishop's accomplishment.

"I see, although I don't think it is very healthy for him to be stuck in a room everyday?" he said with concern. If it was him, he would probably get so angsty to the point that he would rampage until he got out. A dragon values his freedom and being locked in a room for years on end is not an option.

"I know. Even I say he is sealed, I did give him the option to leave during the night to have some fresh air but due to the circumstances of his past, he had developed severe agoraphobia and thus he chooses to remain sealed permanently. My peerage and I constantly try to get him to come out but he refuses and I do not want to force him since that would not accomplish anything." Rias pinched the bridge of her nose as she recalled all the times, she tried to get him out of the room only for him to stop time and escape in his inner sanctuary he calls a box.

"I look forward to meeting him then."

"I'm sure you will, in the future. Now, with all that said, I wanted to ask you… Would you be interested in becoming a part of my peerage and family?" This was the question she desperately wanted to ask and everyone could see she wearing a very hopeful expression for a favorable answer. There could be no doubt that she was proud of each of her peerage and they were all very strong. They are the people that she could trust with her life. But she felt that, at the moment, the peerage lacked firepower. In the future, with tons of training, she knew that Matsuda would become a force of nature being the red dragon emperor but at the present moment, he needed a lot of training. Having a dragon would definitely provide an enormous boost in power that she desperately needed, especially regarding a certain arrangement she wanted to get out off.

Regrettably, the answer she got received was not a favorable one as she saw Issei giving her a bitter smile as he shakes his head side to side.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline your offer Rias-sempai. I was born and raised as a dragon and I cannot see myself as anything other than that. In addition, I hope you will forgive me for being blunt and I mean no offense when I say this but… based on what you told me, I doubt you would even be able to reincarnate me" he said this as politely and respectable as possible. If what she told him previously was true then she could only reincarnate people above a certain level. It took her a mutated piece to reincarnate the vampire he felt earlier and his power was leagues behind his so he sincerely doubted that, even with a mutated piece, she would be able to turn him into a devil.

Rias understood that he meant no offense but his statement still hurt her pride a bit as a small tick appeared on her forehead

"oh, really… Is that a challenge?" she said crossing her arms underneath her chest. Issei found her reaction kind off cute and he decided to humor her a bit.

"Not really but how about this? You can go ahead and attempt to re-incarnate me and if you are able too then I will gladly follow you and there will be no ill-will between us." Issei's statement gave Rias a bit of hope where otherwise there was none.

"Is that so? In that case, get ready to eat your words." Rias took her remaining pieces from the chessboard as she strolled confidently towards Issei.

"Don't regret this!" she said stopping in front of him. Issei looked down since she was a bit smaller than him and smirked.

"I won't. Please go ahead."

"Don't mind if I do." She said bringing forth her pieces. She started with the bishop bringing it towards his chest.

She waited but nothing happened. Her first attempt failed so she brought forth her knight piece. Once more she waited but no sign appeared that piece was compatible with Issei. This got her frustrated as she looked at Issei who simply shrugged as if telling her I told you so.

"It's not over yet" she mumbled as she still had her rook piece left. Compared to the other pieces, this was the most powerful one remaining she had left and dragons beings entities of pure power would surely be compatible with a rook piece.

And so, she brought her last ray of hope forward near Issei's chest

And waited

…

And waited

She started to sweat a bit

And waited

…

Nothing happened.

Her head collapsed in defeat as a mini Rias was crying internally for having failed to re-incarnate him.

"DAMN IT. My peerage would have been invincible if I had you." She shouted in defeat. In the background everyone was amused at their king's reaction.

Kiba and Akeno both chuckled.

Matsuda could not contain his laughter at his king's expense and if you'd look at Koneko, you would have seen a small smile appear in her otherwise expressionless face before she went back to eating her sweets.

Issei was simply scratching the back of his head, wondering what he could say.

Hilariously, it was not Issei who bore a smug face at her failed attempt but rather Akeno who seemed proud of the fact that her boyfriend was too strong to be re-incarnated by her best friend.

"Ara ara, it seems you failed Buchou" she teased Rias who did not seem very happy about it but could not say anything to refute it. Rias simply stared at her queen with an irritated expression but that did nothing to affect Akeno's smug look.

"Sorry about that. I hope there are no hard feelings." Issei interjected. Rias looked away and sighed before redirecting her attention to Issei.

"There are none. While I would have loved to have in my peerage, the fact remains that you are right and I am, lamentably, to weak to do so. On the bright side, you are now a full fledge member of our club and a new friend so overall, it was not a bad day. Although, should you ever change your mind, the offer will always remain." She said.

"Thank you. Also, I forgot to ask but… what exactly does your club do?" he asked.

"Oh. It's true that I forgot to mention it. Our club mostly deals with anything involving the occult. it includes the study and research of Youkai and other supernatural creatures in the area. Around once a week, we deliver a report or article on the supernatural which is literally our forte. It's not really much. We mainly used this club as a front for our devil activities. You can think of this building as our headquarters whenever we need to get together in case of an emergency or activity." She explained to issei who nodded in understanding.

"Alright, I understand. In that case, I'll take my leave but before I do there is something I need to get out of my chest."

There was one thing he needed to do before he left and he didn't care how it made him look. He moved in front of Rias and to the surprise of everyone in the room, bowed in extreme gratitude towards Rias. Even Koneko was so shocked that she dropped her chocolate she was about to eat. His forehead, literally kissing the floor, it rendered everyone speechless but did not stop Issei from expressing his thanks.

"There are no words to describe how deeply grateful I am to you Rias and your peerage for all that you have done for Akeno. You all saved her from a path filled with sorrow, even offered her a home, a place to belong and took care of her for all these years. You all did what should have been my family's responsibility and I cannot express how grateful I am for everything. Thank you… Thank you so very much… for all that you have done for Akeno-chan" he said to them. The last bit they could hear him sobbing which only served to further express his sincerity. Everyone was beyond shocked at what they were witnessing and none more so that Rias herself.

For as long as she could remember, she had been educated in many different fields. Some she found absolutely amazing while others… not so much. During her study, she learned about various races and their culture. Dragons, she was taught, were beings who valued their pride above all else similar to that of high-class devils. Yet, here was one dragon that completely threw everything she thought she knew out of the window. Issei, a full-blooded dragon, was bowing maybe even groveling, in front her, to someone who is many times weaker than him, expressing his gratitude over Akeno. For a dragon, doing something like this is outright disgraceful and would be scorned upon yet, Issei completely disregarded any pride he had all for the sake of Akeno. She could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards her queen for having someone who would go to such lengths for her.

"Please, you don't need to bow your head to me. It was the right thing to do." She was finally able to let a few words out. Everyone also nodded agreeing with their king. Issei looked from his position and nodded as he got up while wiping off the few tears that managed to escape from his eyes.

"I still thank you for everything" he said with a smile. Akeno, on her end, also had a few tears coming down her face from happiness at seeing how much Issei cared for her to the point of bowing his head towards Rias.

"If there is anything, I can do to repay the favor, please let me know… aside from becoming part of your peerage of course" The last bit caused the mood to become cheery as every chuckled at his little remark.

"Of course, we are friends."

"Yes, we are. Have a good evening everyone." He said before finally taking his leave.

* * *

Rias made her way back to her desk until a thought came to mind.

"Oh, I forgot to ask him about his parents. I was curious to know who they were" she said before looking towards Akeno. Since Akeno had spent the better part of her life with Issei and his family, it meant that she most likely knew of his origins so she could not help but ask

"Do you know the identity of his parents, Akeno?" she looked towards her queen who nodded to her question

"Yes I do, Rias."

"Then, would you mind sharing it with us." Rias leaned a bit to move herself closer to Akeno. Akeno placed a finger on her chin staring upwards as if contemplating what to do before she turned her attention back to her king.

"ufufu, that is a se~cret" she stuck her tongue out playfully but then switched to a more serious tone "I promised that I would never reveal their identity to anyone. They have been part of my family since I was a child and they entrusted us with their secret when they did not need to. My parents and I promised to never reveal who they were and they kept their promise. I'm sure that to this day, even my father did not reveal anything to his friends despite how close he is to them; so, I do not want to break their trust, even for you Rias." If Issei were still in the room, he would have been overjoyed at the fact that Akeno had, at the very least, defended her father's honor despite still resenting him.

Seeing that Akeno had no intention to answer her query, she decided to let it go. She didn't want to pressure her friend into doing something she felt uncomfortable with.

"Fair enough but it was worth a shot." She sighed before continuing "How are everyone's contracts going along". Taking a list, she gradually went through each and everyone of them. Her peerage went straight back to business as they discussed their contracts.

Chapter End

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

**As usual please leave any review you want. All is appreciated and I'll see you next chapter**

**Happy April Fools day**


	14. Chapter 14

**(***GO TO THE BOTTOM. I JUST ADDED LIKE 1500 WORDS TO THIS CHAPTER SINCE I CAME UP WITH A BIT EXTRA AND DID NOT WANT TO PUT A 1500 WORD CHAPTER*** THE REST IS STILL THE SAME)**

**WHOOWHO WE DID IT GUYS OVER 100 000 WORDS.**

**I managed to come up with this chapter pretty quickly. I was going to wait before posting it but as a celebration for my story having exceeded 100 000 words, I decided to post it early.**

**We are getting closer and closer to 1000 follower/favorites. I'm so happy. Can't wait for the day my story achieves it.**

**Hope you guys enjoy the chapter**

After leaving the old school building, Issei made his way back home. It seemed like a storm was about to hit the city so he hurried along before he gets drenched. Arriving home, he entered his residence only to spot his father watching TV but with no sign f his mother anywhere. Usually, she would be the first to greet him back home while preparing dinner. He did not feel her presence anywhere at home or the city for that matter.

"**Welcome home, son**" greeted his father, interrupting his thought process.

"Hi, dad. Where did mom go?" he asked while taking his shoes off.

"**Ophis is currently back at Tannin's place hanging out with her friends. Apparently, a lot of the younglings asked for her so she went back to spend time with them. Although, she should come home soon. How was your day? Did you have a good time with Akeno**?" smirked Great-red loving to tease the hell out of his son. He got the expected reaction as his son blushed

"Dad, could you stop that!" shouted issei who was annoyed that his father did this everytime. Great-red laughed.

"**hahaha, sorry sport but I can't help it since you are easy to tease. I'm sure Akeno-chan does the same thing. But, in all seriousness, how did your day go**?" his father asked seriously this time. After calming himself down, Issei answered

"It was an interesting day to say the least and… quite a few things happened that I believe I should let you know about but I would rather wait for mom to come back before we get to it." He said seriously causing Great-red to raise a brow wondering what happened.

"**Well there is no need to wait because she is already here**" Great red turned his attention towards the kitchen, Issei following his gaze, when a black aura in the form of many snakes begun materializing in that spot, soon taking the shape of his mother. Having come back home, Ophis very quickly spotted her son and went to embrace him.

"Good evening my Issei. I apologize for not being able to greet you when you arrived back home." She told her son who simply waved it off.

"It's no problem, mom. Dad already told me where you were. How is everyone doing back home?" They all still considered the dragon territory their second home and that would never chance.

"Everyone is doing fine. The younglings are as energetic as ever. Tannin is busy training everyone to be the best they can be. Oh, also Bova came by while I was taking care of some younglings asking me to relay a message to you saying he wanted to spar soon and that he would not lose this time. He seemed quite motivated to see his rival." She explained with a small smile on her face. Issei was pleased that everyone was doing well and he smirked at his friend's challenge. He would definitely spar with him sometime soon.

"How about you, how did your day go?" she asked, interrupting his inner monologue.

"Like I told dad, I had an interesting day and now that you arrived, there are a few things I wanted to let you know about." Ophis nodded and sat on the sofa near her husband and Issei took a seat directly in front of them.

Thus, he began to recount his day, from the time he left the house with Akeno until he got to the important details which was the meeting with Rias Gremory herself. His parents, mostly his father, laughed at the constant annoyance his son was receiving from his fellow students although they were both happy to hear him and Akeno getting along so well.

"During the meeting with Rias Gremory, she invited me join the Occult Research Club and after considering it, I decided to join the club. They are all wonderful people and it was thanks to them that Akeno was spared a life of suffering and from what she told me; Rias saved her life." Great-red and Ophis both looked disheartened when he said that. It was still a hard pill to swallow that while they were living in peace, she was barely making ends meet all those years. It should have been their responsibility to make sure Akeno was safe and they failed miserably.

Unaware of his parent's internal moral struggle, Issei continued speaking.

"After learning a brief history about the Devils, I found out a surprising fact. You will never believe who I've met but it appears that Rias Gremory possesses the host of the Red Dragon Emperor Ddraig." He revealed to them, shocking them out of their mindless thoughts. They never thought they would hear of Ddraig being here. It also provided a bit of concern.

"**Really, so the host of Ddraig is affiliated with the devil faction this time. That is interesting indeed. Was he able to discern your identity by any chance?**" Great asked his son wondering if Ddraig could feel Issei's power. Unlike the other devils, Ddraig had in fact come into contact with Ophis in the past so he would know her energy anywhere and he was strong enough to sense it even when he is sealed which did concern him a bit.

"I do not believe so. I always make sure to keep my powers sealed so, if he did notice anything, his tone did not give any indication that he did. It was still pretty cool to finally meet the fabled Ddraig that I kept hearing about. He seems like a nice guy, even started laughing hysterically when I told him that mom called him and his rival idiots for fighting a pointless battle." Issei explained. Ophis crossed her hand and huffed.

"hmf, well it's true. They both fought needlessly with one another and their pride cost them their freedom. It is my wish that you do not become like that. You already possess so many traits of your father and that alone makes me cringe."

"**HEY, what is that supposed to mean**." Interjected Great-red who was annoyed at the indirect insult.

"It means exactly what it sounds like BAKA-RED!" replied Ophis. Issei for his part decided to let his parents bicker amongst themselves and eventually they would calm down for him to continue. This was a usual thing between them so he learned to live with it.

After a short period, they slowly began to regain their composure before returning their attention to their son.

"**Still, with both you and Ddraig currently here, I have a sinking suspicion that you will not be able to keep your secret for very long. You have become a lot stronger over the years and I have absolutely no doubt you can take care of yourself. There are not many opponents who could pose a threat to you now that you have mastered your powers. Your crimson fire and black lightning in particular could easily dispatch god class beings; however, on the other hand, it also reveals your origins. Those powers contain our very energies and that is impossible to hide. If people found out that you were not only the child of the Ouroboros dragon but also the Apocalypse Dragon than they would no doubt see you as a threat and possibly create an alliance to take you down just like what happened to the Heavenly dragons. Of course, your mother and I would never let any harm befall you and should they try well… they will be wiped off from the phase of existence.**" Great stated. Issei could tell from his tone that he would definitely carry out his implied threat should it happen and he did not even need to look at his mother that she would do the exact same thing should anything befall him.

"I know how protective of me the both of you are and I am forever grateful to have been given the blessing of being your son. You both are the greatest parents a dragon could ever hope for; however, it is not what I want. If this conflict does indeed occur… then I have no doubts that Tannin shishou and the rest would join in as well. As a result, all the years of hard work Uncle Tannin spent for the sake of species would go down the drain. Dragons would be once again viewed as targets for elimination, this time by every faction and many of the younglings I've spent my whole life with would die. I'm pretty sure, if it came to that, Uncle and the rest would never regret putting their lives on the line for me. That is the kind of people they are but, I will forever remember that I was partially responsible for their deaths. I don't want to see anyone I care for die in front of me ever again. I… I just can't…" he took a moment to breath in, wiping his tears before continuing

"That is why I've decided to only use those abilities under extreme circumstances. Like you said before Dad, there are very few who could pose a threat to me so simply using my strength and other flames will be sufficient for the time being. Until there comes a time that our species can fly freely amongst the realms without prejudice."

Great-red and Ophis smiled, got up from their seats and each took a seat near their son. Ophis took her sons hand and gently caressed it hoping to ease her son's burden while Great-red simply ruffled his son's hair.

"My sweet little Issei. You are by far, the greatest thing that has ever happened to me during my infinite life. All I want is for you to grow up to be the best you can be and I will support you all the way no matter what path you take." Ophis commented.

"**Your mother is right, Issei. You have grown up to be a wonderful man and an even greater dragon. We, as your parents can't help but be worried for you and that will never change but this is your life, your journey. Always know that no matter where your journey leads you, you will always have our support because for your mother and I, there is no greater pride in this world… then the pride we feel in you.**" followed Great-red who beamed with pride for his son.

"Thank you, mom, dad. I love so you both so very much" Issei returned his parents smile.

"We also love you, Issei" they both said as they all shared an embrace. Silence ensued for a moment until

.

_Grumble_

_._

Somebody's stomach started rumbling causing them to separate and Great-red to laugh.

"**hahaha, seems our boy is hungry. It must have been a big day huh**." He looked at Issei who shook his head furiously.

"What, that wasn't me. That was totally you, dad" Issei rebuked his father.

"**Heck no. I'm not that hungry yet**." Both of them then looked at the only other member here, Ophis who was not looking at wither of them.

.

_Grumble grumble_

.

This time the sound came from Ophis who couldn't help but release a small blush.

"**hahaha, so it was you. My, it seems someone is hungry**."

"Hey, I was busy taking care of many energetic younglings and I did not have time to eat, OK" she complained to great-red. Even Issei could not help but release a small giggle at his mother's frustration. In the end, they all started laughing at the situation and they all decided to eat out at a restaurant.

All in all, it was just another hectic day in their lives.

The next morning, Issei woke up earlier than usual. Having gotten the address of her apartment from her yesterday, he decided to surprise her this time and go pick her up so they could go to school together. He bid his parents farewell and exited his house but not before hearing his father scream

"**Go get her, Tiger… or in this case would it be dragon**" he mumbled the last part which was not heard by issei as he closed the door and made his way to Akeno's apartment.

* * *

Having arrived at his destination, he could not help but feel a bit guilty because although her apartment was close to school, his residence was literally on the opposite side, meaning she probably walked a long way just to get to his house, unless she teleported using magic but he was pretty sure, she would not do that. He just felt bad that she had to walk all the way from her apartment to his house. Anyways, no time for sulking he thought to himself.

He entered the building, went up to the 4th floor and found the room Akeno was living in.

Knock knock

He knocked twice on the door waiting to surprise his girlfriend. He could feel her aura on the other side of the door so he knew she was clearly awake.

"Coming, please wait a moment." He heard her voice coming from the other side of the door. Steps were heard coming closer until the door knob twisted and the door opened revealing Akeno already dressed in her uniform. Akeno was surprised to see Issei. She was about to go get him at his house but it seems he came instead. Noticing her surprised look, Issei smiled.

"Since you came to pick me up yesterday, I decided that it was my turn to come and surprise you by picking you up." Issei explained, Akeno greeted him with a hug.

"Thank you Issei-kun, but you didn't really need to."

"I wanted too and besides it didn't feel right to have walking all the way to my house every single time." Akeno smiled at his concern for her.

"It doesn't bother me Issei, I like walking and it also gives me the chance to come see Aunty Ophis and uncle Red at the same time, but if it bothers you that much, I can always teleport to your house via magic now that I've been there."

"As long as you are alright with it, then I guess I don't mind." Issei answered. She nodded and told him to come inside while she finishes preparing to go to school. Issei accepted her offer and invited himself in her room. Looking around he could tell it was a very nice-looking apartment with all the commodities needed. He had to give credit to Rias Gremory or would it now be Rias-buchou since he joined the ORC. He can think about what to call her later. He looked back at Akeno who was finishing getting ready and once again he could help but notice how absolutely breathtaking, she looked. Even his dragon instincts couldn't help but scream at him to claim her then and there and Issei had to admit that it was getting very hard to battle those instincts when he looked at her. Akeno, for her part saw Issei staring at her from her mirror and from the way his eyes kept wondering, she could tell he was looking over every inch of her. It somehow resembled how a predator would stalk its prey before striking. Considering that Issei was in fact a dragon, one of the top apex predators known to man, it wasn't that crazy of a thought. Still, the idea that Issei was gawking so thoroughly caused several fantasies to pop into her head of Issei dominating her which sent a shiver down her spine. Luckily it seemed that Issei was so focused on her that he did not really notice her internal arousal so to calm herself down she decided to tease him a bit. Turning around, she placed a single finger on her chin and chuckled

"Ara ara, is the mighty dragon about to devour me? Oh no, I'm just an innocent little maiden. How can I hope to defend myself" She pretended to act scared, folding her hands over her chest as if protecting her body and waited for Issei to answer. Issei took a step forward never losing sight of her.

"And, what if I am?" Akeno was surprised at his response as she did not expect such an answer. Issei would normally start blushing or start teasing her in return but this time she could not tell from his tone if he was joking or serious. And those piercing eyes of his… now that he got a good look were slowly shifting to his original reptile eyes as slits appears in his eyes.

'_Oh my_' she thought to herself, a slight heat coming from her chest at the thought that she might actually be assaulted by her loved one. Not letting herself lose, she let out a small grin as she made her way towards Issei, embraced his neck and leaned next to his ear.

"In that case… I wouldn't stop you" she calmly whispered in his ear. Once again, Issei's instincts were screaming at him to take her then and there and from the looks of it, Akeno would not mind one bit or she would not be doing this. Akeno felt him raising both of his hands, placing them on her shoulders but, instead of him pouncing on her like she thought, she felt him kiss her forehead surprising her as she shifted her gaze to issei. She noticed that his eyes reverted back to his usual human ones as he smiled down at her.

"Someday, I will definitely take you up on your offer but right now, we have school to attend to." Akeno returned his kiss with one of her own but she aimed for his lips.

"I will look forward to it Issei-kun." She said after separating.

"In that case, shall we go?" he said, presenting her with his arm trying to act like a gentleman which seemed to please Akeno who wrapped her own arm around his.

"ufufu, With pleasure." They then proceeded to leave for school.

* * *

Arriving at school, as usual a lot of people were gossiping between themselves about their relationship which made him ponder when they would stop. Anyways, Issei noticed that his class seemed to be waiting outside with their PE instructor so after bidding goodbye to Akeno, he headed there to see what's up. Issei thought it weird considering that his scheduled showed PE as the last class of the day. His thought was then answered by his instructor who explained that they their gym was undergoing some repairs so they were going to do PE outside. However, the weather forecast said there might be rain in the afternoon so they decided to move PE in the morning to compensate. Seeing that everyone understood the situation, the instructor began his class.

Everyone wanted Issei on their team due to his incredible physique and the fact that he could do practically anything. Of course, unknown to them, Issei had to severely restrain his speed and power when playing sports less he injures his fellow students. But, even with that restraint, he was still leagues ahead of the other students, easily getting the best of them in any sport, be it Basketball, soccer, baseball etc. In track and field activities, he would always stay one step ahead of everyone and didn't even break a sweat when all was done. It wasn't really that the male students were weak, it was simply a difference in their species. Naturally, the students were oblivious to this. The girls were going wild, chanting his names cheering at him while the boys were glaring at him with envy. His class gathered so much attention that even the students who were taking classes in doors payed attention to him which annoyed the teachers. Although, ironically some of them watched him with awe, due to how amazing good he was. Issei could not help but chuckle in nostalgia. He recalled how in the past, during his frequent spars with Bova when they used to be evenly matched, everyone would cheer them on. Those were great times. Anyways, due to his overwhelming ability in sports, the teachers had no choice but to add a few restrictions when Issei would play less it becomes a one man show and his opponents simply give up.

Currently, they were playing volleyball and the restriction that the teachers placed on Issei was that everytime he scored a point for his team, the next 5 points could not be scored by him so he would be restricted to receiving and passing. He could not be part of the block since that would give him a chance to score. His PE teacher believed that would at least balance things out. Unfortunately, it was still not enough due to the simple fact that he simply received all the spikes made by his opponents, never letting them score. His naturel instincts allowed him to react extremely fast and easily receive any ball coming his way no matter how fast it came. This forced the teacher to also ask Issei to not receive during the time he was on the court. He felt really bad asking a student to restrain his abilities considering that PE was an opportunity for all students to have fun and go all out. However, Issei was very understanding and accepted everything his instructor told him with a smile. Unfortunately, his actions caused the girls to fawn over him even more. All of them thinking that Issei was very noble to hold back for the sake of everyone else. Just another day, Issei thought to himself.

The bell rang signalling the start of lunch. Issei was getting ready to leave when he noticed Kiba coming towards him

"Issei-kun, Rias-buchou has invited all of us to have lunch in the club. Would you care to join us?" he asked with the usual smile plastered on his face.

Seeing no reason to refuse he accepted.

"Sure although… Where is Matsuda-san, shouldn't he be with you?" Issei was looking around for the pawn of the group who seemed to have vanished the instant the bell rang.

"Ah, I already sent Matsuda-kun ahead so he should be at the clubroom by now." Kiba answered.

Issei nodded "Very well, let's go". He got up from his seat and both of them took their leave. They made their way towards the clubroom and Kiba knocked on the door.

"You can enter". They both heard Akeno's voice giving them permission to answer. Normally it would be Rias who answered but their query was answered the moment they entered the room. Issei could spot a magic circle near Rias ear, meaning that she was currently talking with someone else and by her current expression, it may have been serious so he kept quiet and gave a nod as a form of greeting which Rias returned. He saw Akeno who gave her usual smile and a wave of her hand. Usually she would run to embrace him but it seemed she was taking her duty as the queen of the peerage seriously, staying near Rias until she finished.

"Very well, I understand. We will take care of it. Thank you very much." He heard Rias speaking before she dissipated the magic circle terminating her connection. She simply sighed and returned her attention to her friends.

"Good afternoon Issei, I'm pleased you accepted to have lunch with us." Rias initiated the conversation.

"Thank you for the invitation, although it seems I came at an inconvenient time. Is everything alright?" he asked with some concern.

"Oh no, its nothing very serious. It's just that we've been given an assignment to hunt down a stray devil. Normally, we would wait until school finishes but this time, it is a request from the Archduke so it is better to take care of this as soon as possible. Are you familiar with stray devils, by any chance." She asked him to see if he knew or not.

"um… well if I'm not mistaken, stray devils are devils who betrayed their masters or something a long those lines?" he answered trying his best to recall any conversation he had with tannin about this topic.

"Yes, they are. More precisely, they are devils who have betrayed their masters for their own selfish reasons and without their masters to keep their powers in check, they become a great threat who rampage everywhere and devour innocent civilians. It is our duty to hunt down any stray to prevent further harm to the populace. Since the stray is located in my territory, it is my responsibility to destroy it." She explained. Issei nodded in understanding before an idea struck Rias.

"Say, would you be interested in joining us on the hunt. This could be a chance for you to see us in combat and see the way we devils do things. What do you say?" she inquired. Issei thought about it carefully. If speaking truthfully, he would be curious to observe the teamwork of devils and how peerages handle combat. Plus, he would be there to protect Akeno should things become really bad so he had no reason to refuse.

"Sure, it would be interesting to see you all in action" answered an excited Issei.

"Very well then. We will depart immediately. I just a few minutes to adjust my teleportation spell since it can only transport my peerage members." She said as she rose from her seat only to notice Issei shaking his head negatively.

"That won't be necessary Rias. I can make my way there just fine. You can go ahead and transport yourselves and I will be right behind you." He said confidently.

"Are you sure?" she asked just to be sure. Issei simply nodded.

"Very well. Let's go then." Rias activated her magic circle and all of her peerage including herself teleported to the place where the stray devil was located. Issei took a moment to sense their location and immediately disappeared in a pillar of flames.

* * *

Somewhere in Kuoh, outside of what looked to be a construction site, a magic circle appeared on the ground and revealed The Gremory Peerage. When the light of the magic circle died down, the entirety of the ORC appeared in front of that place.

"Looks like we are here. Now we just need to wait for Issei." Rias commented before all of them saw crimson flames materializing near them and out of them came Issei. This was a nifty ability he learned which allowed him to transport himself anywhere he wanted. It was very similar to the way his mother teleports from one place to another.

"Holy crap, that was sick. How did you do it" Matsuda asked looking in awe.

"Oh, that is simply my means of transportation. Using my senses, I found your location and teleported myself here." Issei scratched the back of his head as he explained his ability to Matsuda. Rias coughed in order to regain their attention in order to accomplish their mission.

"Alright, now that we are here, let's get to it. The stray devil we are hunting has last been tracked to this location so keep your eyes open, everyone. Understood." She warned everyone.

"Yes" they all answered before making their way inside the site. As they made their way further inside the construction site, the ORC reached a place that resembled a dirt pit. A wide, but not very deep, pit. It was a weird place for it thought Issei but he was not the only one.

"A pit? But there are no tools or vehicles." Kiba made that observation while looking around. Just as he said, there were no digging tools or vehicles around that could have created this pit. Moreover, Issei made another interesting observation while looking at the ground.

"It looks to be recently made as well" Matsuda added his own 2 cents after observing the pit.

All of a sudden, Isseis enhanced senses started picking up strange noises coming from somewhere. It seemed as though even koneko was aware of the stray's presence.

"It's here" Issei stated as everyone raised their guard. Without saying a word and following his instincts, Issei looked towards a specific location. The moment he did, sounds of metal bars dropping were heard.

"There you are. You can come out now, we know you are there" Issei said. Seeing that he was discovered, the stray jumped down, crashing just in front of the ORC members. Everyone redirected their attention towards the new arrival.

The stray was revealed to be an enormous creature, standing over 3 meters tall with multiple limbs. On his back, he a pair of bat like wings that devils usually possess but he also had 4 long tentacles with a length greater than his own size. It was absolutely revolting and the worst part was that he could smell the blood of a recent victim, indicating that there was already an innocent casualty. Rias stepped forward.

"Greetings Stray devil, Veyron. My name is Rias Gremory. I've been sent on behalf of your former master to eliminate you." Veyrons voice came out in a most distorted manner, just like his appearance.

"huhu… Rias Gremory, is it. I'm impressed that they sent the spoiled little sister of Lucifer to deal with little old me. I should be honoured to be graced by your presence but I expected that they sent someone of your caliber since little weaklings would be able to take me on." He said with a smug on his face. What an egotistical fool, Issei thought. The stray was overconfident in his power despite being very weak.

"You should not flatter yourself to much. The only reason I've been sent is due to the fact that I've been assigned to this territory and it is my responsibility to take care of any threats. You should actually consider yourself unlucky that you had the misfortune of crossing paths with me."

Issei was a bit confused, wondering why she was conversing with the abomination instead of simply destroying it. He leaned towards Akeno

"um Akeno, is… is there any point to conversing with the stray?" he whispered, seriously wondering about it. If it was the younglings in this situation they would simply destroy the enemy in front of them dispensing any kind of formality.

"ufufu, apparently for Devils, its some type of common practice that shows that they are civilised beings but other than that not really."

"I see" he said hesitantly not really getting it.

"hahaha, such arrogance. I will enjoy watching you die as I rip your body to pieces. I'll remember to send your remains back." He stated before jumping back, gaining a bit of distance between them. That seemed to be the signal for the start of the battle.

"Very well then, let us commence. Everyone". Everybody took their positions as Koneko, Matsuda and Kiba stood in the front lines while Akeno and Rias were placed in the rear. The stray used his multiple arms to grab several objects and threw it towards them. Kiba was the first to move as he intercepted the incoming objects and sliced them all to pieces.

"How about this?" the stray screamed as he swung his 4 tentacles at them. Unfortunately for it, Kiba easily side stepped them while Koneko smashed them away.

"hmm, all of those extra limbs of him are going to be a problem. Rip me piece by piece you said? In that case, we will return the favor. Kiba, Koneko-chan"

"Yes Buchou" they both answered. Both of them charged at the stray once Rias gave the order.

"Now then, Issei. As I told you before, Kiba is my knight. His specialty is very simple, pure speed. Kiba was already fast to begin with but if you add in his expert swordsmanship as well as the knight's increased speed then you have a wind that cuts you down before you know it. That is Yuuto's power. By, combining those 2 skills, he becomes the fastest knight."

Slash, slash, slash

"AAAAARRRRRGGGG". The sound of multiple things being sliced followed her speech along with a cry of anguish from the stray. From what he could see, the devil could not keep up with Kiba's speed and was powerless to defend itself as the knight dismembered him piece by piece. He heard several thuds as the severed limbs of the stray landed everywhere including 2 of the 4 tentacles. Since he could not deal with Kiba, he decided to shift his attention to another, easier prey when he caught sight of Koneko making her way towards him.

"you miserable insects. I will crush you where you stand."

Stomp

The enormous monster tried to crush Koneko however to its shock, his foot did not hit the ground and even more surprising was the fact that the girl was unharmed and lifting his foot with her little body.

"Impossible." He screamed unable to comprehend the situation.

"Koneko is my rook and as she just demonstrated, the rook grants her increased physical capabilities. Both offensive and defensive. It's impossible for a stray of that calibre to even harm her let alone crush her." Rias explained.

LIFT!

Koneko then completely lifted up the stray.

"…Fly" She then jumps high and punches into the monster's stomach very sharply.

BANG

The enormous body of the monster gets thrown backwards, crashing on a wall. In pain, he struggled to get up but his anger gave him the adrenaline needed to keep fighting.

"DAMN YOU." He shrieked sending his 2 remaining tentacles towards Rias hoping to kill her but this time, Matsuda stepped in the way.

"Oh no you don't. Let's do this Ddraig." He said.

[Right, partner]

BOOST!

Matsuda had been boosting his power since the start of the battle. Having boosted 5 times gave him enough strength to deal with the incoming assault. Both appendages struck Matsuda but he was able to defend himself and at the same time he grabbed both limbs tightly keeping them in place. This gave Kiba the opening he needed to slice of the remaining 2 appendages as the stray screamed in agony.

"Hell yeah, that's how its done" said Matsuda.

"Good work Matsuda-san." Kiba praised Matsuda.

"Matsuda is my sole pawn. Now, I know what you might be thinking. That the pawn is the weakest piece in chess and you would be right to think so. However, the pawn possesses an ability that none of the other pieces have. The ability of promotion. Basically, under the permission of their king, if they manage to enter enemy territory, this ability grants the ability to promote to any piece with the exception of the king. That is why the pawns of a peerage are seen as the trump cards of a peerage and I have no doubt that Matsuda will become a very powerful trump card someday thanks to being the Red Dragon emperor. I have complete faith in him." If Matsuda had heard that then he would have been extremely elated.

"Last but not least, Akeno" Rias turned towards Akeno

"Yes, Buchou. Ara ara, what should I do?" Akeno was giggling while walking towards the stray that is on the ground panting.

"Akeno is a queen. She is the one who is the strongest after me. Being the queen allows her to possess all the characteristics of a pawn, bishop, knight and rook."

"Grrrrr" the monster growls at Akeno. Akeno makes a fearless laugh after noticing the monster's anger.

"Ara ara. It seems that you still have quite a bit of energy in you. Good thing since Issei-kun is watching me so… how about this?" Akeno raised her arms towards the sky. The next instant, the thunderclouds started to appear then a lightning bolt strikes down the stray.

"AAARRRGGHHH" He was being electrocuted alive. It's entire body got burned with smoke coming off his skin.

"ufufu, it seems like you can still take more. Here's another" Another lightning bolt hit the monster.

"GRRRAAAAAHHHHH" Veyron got electrified again. It was really close to death but even so Akeno still striked it relentlessly. During the times the lightning bolt struck the body, Akeno could be seen laughing.

"As you may have noticed, she is also a sadist" Rias added. It seems that Akeno really did inherit that particular trait from her mother. He realizes that he has a very tough journey ahead of him.

"I give you my sincere condolences." Rias whispered to him seemingly having read his mind about the road that lies ahead. He simply sighed

"Thanks for the concern, I guess although I kind of had an inkling this might happen considering who her mom was" he scratched the back of his head.

"Believe me that is nothing. Did you know that she possesses a BD…" but she was interrupted before she could finish her sentence!

"Buchou, I believe we are done." Akeno said in a loud tone yet never losing her smile. However, Rias knew that behind that smile was a silent threat to not say anything else. Rias shivered. There were times that her queen could be quite scary. Seems doubly so when it came to Issei.

"V… very well. I guess it's time to finish this." She said as she conjured a sphere of destruction on the palm of her head. Issei, for his part, was curious what Rias wanted to tell him but it seemed Akeno would have none of it. He could ask her later after all of this was done.

Suddenly, his instincts flared up warning him that the danger was not over. He quickly focused his senses and noticed that every single limb suddenly began twitching. He looked back towards the stray devil and despite the charred corpse could notice a small smirk coming from it. Then suddenly, all of its severed limbs launched towards Rias to everyone's horror

"BUCHOU!" everyone screamed in panic. Kiba launched himself towards her wanting to act as her shield but to his horror he saw that he would never make it in time.

If this was any other circumstances then the stray might have succeeded in killing the princess

.

.

That is if Issei wasn't present

"Flame Barrier"

A barrier made of flames suddenly surrounded both Rias and Issei protecting them from the stray's desperate attack. Once the limbs made contact with his barrier, they easily disintegrated. Everyone breathed in a sigh of relief seeing their king was safe.

"Here's a little lesson from me now. Never let your guard down even when you think it is safe for that is the moment when you are the most vulnerable. That is a lesson my shishous drilled into me, constantly." Issei advised. Rias was very embarrassed at her blunder. Had it not been for Issei, then she would have lost her life here.

"Thanks for saving me. I owe you one." She told him.

"Don't mention it. Now I believe you should finish your mission, no?" he replied. She nodded and made her way towards the stray, this time never letting down her guard until she was face to face with the tattered body of the monster, power of destruction still present on her arm.

"Any last words?"

"Go… to… hell." He wheezed out the insult causing her to laugh

"I live there." She replied before blasting it away with her power thus ending it's life.

After a moment of silence, everyone gathered together.

"Alright, great job everyone. Aside from my earlier blunder, everyone performed their duty marvelously. Thank you all for your hard work. So, Issei what did you think of my peerage's performance… minus my little mistake" she mumbled the last part but Issei caught it due to his enhanced hearing. He giggled but gave her an answer

"From what I've seen, you have a very good team assembled. They worked very well together when taking down the stray. You are still a little rough around the edges but I see a lot of potential in each of you. I have no doubt you'll become a very powerful team in the future." He said confidently, praising their abilities earning him a nod of gratitude from each of them.

"Thank you Issei. We appreciate the praise. It means a lot coming from you. Now then, shall we head back to school." Everyone nodded to Rias question as they all teleported back to school.

* * *

*****ADDED THIS PART TO THE CHAPTER. REST IS THE SAME*****

With the bell tolling signaling the end of another school day, Issei was making his way back home, accompanied by Matsuda who joined him since he lived towards the same direction as Issei. Akeno wanted to accompany but seeing Matsuda with him decided that this would be a chance for them to bond as friends. On the other hand, the various other girls were shouting insult after insult at Matsuda about not polluting Issei with his perverseness. As they walked, they both talked about themselves in order to get to know each other more just like Akeno hoped. Issei talked about all the crazy things he did during his training while Matsuda talked about his dream of becoming a harem king since his rebirth into a devil earning him a hearty laugh from Issei. It is a unique dream to have but at the very least he was very passionate about it and Issei had to respect him for that. He was never one to judge a person for their taste but rather for who they are as a person and so far, although Matsuda is indeed a big pervert, he seemed to be a decent guy… as long as he steers clear of Akeno that is. Besides, it's not like he isn't a bit perverted himself. That would be a lie.

"When I become a high-class devil, I will possess a peerage of nothing but beautiful women. I don't mind if they have big or small breasts." Issei's thoughts were interrupted by Matsuda's dialogue about his dream peerage. Unfortunately, he was indeed very loud so many people were giving him looks of disgust, especially the girls who Issei could here mutter 'pervert' or 'scum'. With a sigh, he answered

"I see. In that case, what do you think about you master Rias Gremory" he asked, curious of his thoughts about his king. This earned him a heavy blush from Matsuda who lowered his head down and started fidgeting a bit as he relayed his answer "I believe Buchou to be one of the most amazing women I have ever met. The day I saw her form peering outside the academy window, her long flowing crimson hair gliding in the wind, I was absolutely mesmerized and could not take my eyes off of her. I didn't know that she was a devil back then by even so, it would not have changed how I felt even if I knew. Now that I am her pawn, I hope to become the greatest pawn and prove myself to her."

The answer he received was honestly not what he expected from him. He thought Matsuda would have shouted something along the lines of "She's the best woman with amazing Oppai or something along those lines but instead he received an honest and dare he say, pure answer from Matsuda which only served to reinforce his opinion that he really is a very decent individual who is misunderstood… or not.

"to top it all of, she has the most amazing body I have ever seen, with the most amazing breasts I have ever laid eyes on. Did you know that she offered to let me touch them when I manage to bring in my first contract! Of course, I still have no luck on that front because all the clients I get are complete wierdos. One of them, is a huge bulky guy called Mil-tan and he dreams to become a magical girl. He scares the shit out of me and I Have no idea how to grant his wish. Other times, my clients talk about manga or games for so long that I accidently forget to sign a contract with them and leave. Ehhh, nothing ever goes right." Matsuda complained as he reverted back to his perverted self making Issei giggle a bit at his plight.

Their little sessions were interrupted when Matsuda felt someone collide with him.

"Oww"

"Huaa"

Thud thud

Both of them fell on their bums. When he turned around, the first thing he saw was white. Looking more carefully, he noticed it was the body of a young girl who had clumsily collided with Matsuda having fallen face first on the floor, her robes having flipped over her head revealing white panties.

"A sister?" He recognized the attire of the young girl. It would certainly be someone related to the church. What puzzled Issei was the question of what was a sister doing in the territory of a devil. It is widely known that this was the territory of Rias Gremory and he doubted Heaven would be stupid enough to send someone that can be seen as a declaration of war. However, what most perplexed him was the very familiar feeling he was receiving when looing at this girl. Had he met her somewhere? While he was pondering such thoughts, Matsuda got up and approached the girl, offering her a hand to help her get up since he felt bad for having not paid attention to his surroundings.

"Are you alright?"

The girl took Matsuda's hand and stood up slowly.

"Oh, thank you very much. I'm sorry for having bumped into you" she apologized to Matsuda who quickly shook his other free hand.

"Oh no, it was my fault for not paying attention" he replied.

Then, a sudden gust of wind blew by causing the girl's veil to fly off.

"Hau"

Luckily, it was caught by Issei immediately. When he tried to give back to her, the girl's appearance was then revealed. Her long blond hair that was hidden beneath the veil fell down her shoulders. Underneath the sunlight, it seemed to glow even further but it was Issei looked at her face that he was honestly left awestruck.

Specifically, her eyes.

She possessed the most beautiful emerald-green eyes that he had ever seen. Her eyes were the glimmering color of emerald, sparkling in the light of the morning sun like a fresh sheen of morning dew. But most of all, it was what was what he saw in them that shocked him. Purity and innocence. An ignorance stemming from kindness. A feeling of comfort and familiarity. They say that the eyes paint a clear picture of someone's soul and hers are the definition of purity and innocence. Not a speck of evil or wickedness could be found in those irises no matter how deep you looked. Something that is very rare to find in the world these days.

Matsuda as well was awes trucked. She was the perfect definition of a blond-haired beauty. Her emerald eyes were so beautiful that it felt like he would be sucked into it. Eyes as clear as water, but with a color that matched a calm forest, with all the same serenity. Their color even reminded him of his boosted gear jewel but gave a strikingly different impression. While the jewel gave a feeling of power, hers gave off the feeling of absolute innocence and purity. Both of them could not help but stare at her

"Ano… umm" The sister looked at Matsuda with a worried expression but also darted her eyes back and forth in an embarrassed manner since Matsuda, in his absentmindedness, had yet to release the hand he picked her from.

"Ohh, sorry". Realising it, he let go of her hand, scratching the back of his hand in embarrassment with a huge blush on his face. You could tell he had no experience in this kind of situation.

Issei then realized he was still holding her veil and returned it to her.

"I'm sorry as well. I believe this is yours".

"Ahh! Thank you… wait a minute?! Y-You can both understand me?" her eyes widened in surprise that they could both understand her.

"Yes, we do" answered Matsuda for both of them. He was actually surprised the first time he learned he had this ability. He recalled what Rias had told him.

"When you turn into a Devil, one of the unique ability you attain is "Language". The moment you turn into a Devil, everyone in the world can understand what you are saying. People listening to you will hear it in the language they are most familiar with. If they are American, then they will hear it in English. If they are Spanish, then they will hear it in Spanish. And also the opposite. If they speak in a language besides Japanese, you will hear it in Japanese." It was an amazing ability to have and he guessed that currently he was speaking her language while everything she spoke was translated into Japanese. For Issei, it was pretty much the same thing. As a dragon he could instantly understand any language.

"Oh, this has to be a blessing from God! I was having a lot of trouble since I got here because I cannot speak Japanese very well. I was lost and since people could not understand what I was saying…" She held her hands together in front of her chest and looked really sad. She did not notice Matsuda cringe in pain when she mentioned the name of the lord but he recovered quickly. That was when they both noticed the bag; she was carrying with her.

"Are you travelling by any chance?" asked Issei.

"Oh no. That's not it. I was recently appointed to the church in this town but I got lost trying to find it. You both must be residents of this town. My name is Asia Argento. It's a pleasure to meet you… um"

"Ah, my name is Issei Hyoudou. Pleasure to make your acquaintance" Issei gave a small bow.

"And mine is Matsuda Suzuki. Nice to meet ya." He pointed towards himself.

"So your name is Asia ehh. Have to say, that is a very pretty name." he added causing Asia to blush.

"ehh! R-really?" she stuttered causing Matsuda to laugh a bit

"Of course, I would not lie."

Issei enjoyed seeing the both of them interact. In a way, this was good practice for Matsuda to be able to talk normally with other girls.

All of a sudden, something inside his mind clicked when he looked at the both them. Issei seemed to have realized something but he needed to ask her to be sure.

"Asia" he called out to her and she turned her attention towards him.

"Yes, Issei-san" she smiled

"um, I know this may sound weird but"

.

.

.

"by any chance, are you"

.

.

.

"**a dragon**"

It felt as though, her world crumbled.

**Chapter end.**

**As you can see, this is where i change the script a bit. i wonder if it caught anyone by surprise.**

**As usual. Reviews are always appreciated to let me know what you think.**

**Until next time,**

**Mairsarmy321 out**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys, I'm back with a brand new chapter.**

**Before you begin this one, I Just wanted to inform for those who do not know. I updated the previous chapter having added a small paragraph at the end. So if you did not read the updated version, I would recommend you do otherwise you would not understand why I started my chapter this way.**

**I am so excited to have reached almost 700 follows/favorites. It seems my hope for 1000 might not be far off so thank you all once more for follow/favorite my very first story. **

**Hope you all stay safe during this stupid corona virus.**

Previously

"_Asia" he called out to her and she turned her attention towards him._

"_Yes, Issei-san" she smiled_

"_um, I know this may sound weird but"_

_._

_._

_._

"_by any chance, are you"_

_._

_._

_._

"_**a dragon**__"_

_It felt as though, her world crumbled._

'H-How does he know… no no no it can't be'

Asia was panicking internally. She did not understand how he could have known the one secret she was desperately trying to hide. Before her untimely death, her caretaker made her promise to never reveal the fact that she was part dragon to anyone for fear what people would do to her. Dragons were feared by everyone especially by the church considering that their lord's hatred of serpents and dragons. Being none the wiser, Asia made the promise and to this very day had never revealed her identity as part dragon even when she was exiled. Yet, to her horror, the man in front her seemed to have figured out who she was. She was both frightened at this fact as well as heartbroken that she was unable to fulfill the promise she made to someone dear to her.

Issei saw that her body began trembling almost as if she was starting to have a panic attack.

"Please wait, we mean you no harm. I am a dragon myself." He tried to calm her down by letting her know that they were not going to cause any harm. It seemed as though she was trying to hide her identity as a dragon which Issei found understandable considering people viewed his race as beings of destruction and would not take lightly at having one roaming in their territory unchecked. Most of the time, it ends in conflict so its no wonder Asia is all agitated.

His little tactic seemed to work as Asia slowly got a hold of herself.

"R-really" she stuttered wondering if he was telling the truth. Issei looked around to make sure no one was looking and then made his eyes turn to slits, proving his statement. Asia went wide eyed that she met a dragon.

Meanwhile, Matsuda was shocked that Asia was a dragon like Issei. He simply couldn't imagine such a cutie being related to a race that cause widespread destruction.

"Really, you are a dragon?" That is all he could ask but he still found it pretty cool since he was carrying a dragon within him.

**["He isn't wrong partner. Now that I focus hard, I can tell that she is in fact a dragon however from what I can tell, she is not a pure blooded one but rather a halfling"**] Matsuda heard Ddraig commune with him in his mind.

"Yes… I-I am part dragon." Asia nodded to his question revealing that Ddraig was correct in his assumption.

"wow, that is pretty cool, Asia" he said excitingly, once again surprising Asia. She always assumed the worst if someone ever found out who she was.

"is that so… I was often warned during my childhood to never reveal the other half of my species and I always believed that people would hunt me down if they learned." She said with a frown.

"Well, it is not as if you were wrong. A lot of people fear our race and the overwhelming destruction we can cause so your worry is not misplaced. However, I can promise you that we will keep your secret safe." Issei reassured her with Matsuda nodding his head to support his claim. Luckily, she seemed to believe them as her body slowly began to ease off.

"I see. In that case, I thank you both from the bottom of my heart" Her smile returned on her face which let them know that she was fine.

"Alright, now that that has been settled, I remember you saying you got lost trying to reach some place?" Issei asked. Remembering her previous plight, she nodded.

"Yes, I was supposed to go to the church but because I'm new here, I had no idea how to get there and nobody understood me" she said, a disheartened expression on her face as she looked down on the ground. Issei smiled at her

"Well, in that case, its good that you bumped into us. If you have an address, we could probably tell or better yet accompany you to the place you are searching." This caused her to look up in disbelief.

"REALLY. Oh… I would greatly appreciate the help." She said, both her hands grasping together as if praying as she looked upon them excitingly causing both guys to giggle at her reaction.

"Yeah sure, it's no problem. I've lived here all my life so I pretty much know all there is about the city and I can tell you that there are two churches in our city and I know where they are. Let me see the address." Asia then proceeded to give Matsuda a piece of paper that contained the address of the church. Taking a look, he suddenly raised a brow in surprise because the address contained there was not of the two active churches but rather…

"huh, that is the address of the abandoned church. Are you sure this is the right address?" he asked Asia with a quizzical look, wanting to be sure but she simply nodded her head.

"Ah? Yes, that is the right one Matsuda-san." She said with a slightly nervous tone but it did not seem like she was lying so he simply shrugged it off.

"well, they must have decided to restart the place then. Anyways, let's get you there."

"Thank you very much. I'll be in your care" she said with a bow causing Matsuda to blush.

"Uwaaaaaah"

As they were about to head to the church, they then heard a child's yelp. Looking around, the sound seemed to have originated near them. They saw a boy who seemed to have fallen and scrapped his knee as he held onto it in pain. Both Issei and Matsuda's instinct kicked in as they wanted to help the boy. But, suddenly, Asia who was next to them swiftly passed them and headed towards the young kid.

"Hey." She knelt down beside him.

"Are you okay? Boys should not cry over a minor injury like this." She patted the boy's head gently. The boy probably did not understand what she was saying but she had a very kind expression so he didn't mind. She then put her palm where the boy injured himself.

In the next moment, two little rings appeared on each hand as a green light orb appeared from Asia's palm and flashed onto the boy's knee and within seconds, the wound disappeared as though it was never there.

["Partner, she possesses a sacred gear"] Matsuda heard Ddraig say waking him up from his absent mindedness.

"Sacred gear" he murmured which was caught by Issei.

'_thought so_' That was his thoughts as well as he marveled at her ability.

"I didn't know there were one's that could heal like that." Matsuda remarked.

**[Indeed, partner. The God of the bible created all manners of sacred gears. Those that heal, destroy, create, repair and many more. It seems that hers is one that can heal and a very strong one too] **

After the boy's wound disappeared, he got up and noticed that nothing hurt. He even started jumping, amazed that he was okay.

"There, your wounds are healed. The pain should be gone now." Asia said, her smile still present on her face as she got up from her spot and patted the boy's head once again.

She made her way back to the two.

"I'm sorry but I had to." She giggles as she stinks her tongue out playfully at both of them. It was a gesture that they couldn't help but find cute, especially Matsuda who felt like an arrow stroke his heart when he saw that display.

"Thank you One-chan" they heard the boy say as he ran off with a happy smile, waving his arm at her.

"He said thank you" Issei translated for Asia who smiled happily in return.

Issei pointed towards her rings.

"So that power…"

"Yes, this is the power to heal. It's a wonderful power bestowed on me by the lord." Even though she was smiling, her expression held some sadness. There must have been some sorrow connected to her sacred gear Issei speculated. Most likely a dark past and he couldn't help but feel some sympathy for her. That was when Matsuda came in.

"Wow, so you have a sacred gear just like mine. That is wicked." Matsuda told Asia who covered her moth in astonishment at his announcement.

"Really! M-Matsuda-san has a power similar to my own? I-I have never gotten the opportunity to meet someone like me! T-T-This is an honor. Oh what a blessing this day has been. Not only have a met someone with a power similar to my own but I've also met someone of the same species as me. This is most definitely the divine intervention of the Lord. Praise his name."

Asia begun praying again in what seemed to be a comical manner but neither Issei nor matsuda stopped for. Heck, they laughed at her cute mannerisms.

"Yes, my sacred gear is called the boosted gear and inside resides one of the two heavenly dragons, Ddraig." He explained causing her to exhale in surprise.

"R-Really." Matsuda nodded as a green jewel appeared on his left arm.

**["Greetings, little Asia. My name is Ddraig as my partner just mentioned. It I a pleasure to make your acquaintance."**] Ddraig introduced himself to Asia who began to stutter now knowing what to say.

"oh-oh-oh my, um. It-it is an honor to meet um… you" she managed to squeeze those words out causing Ddraig to laugh.

**["haha, you do not need to be so nervous. Although I have to say, in all my years, I've never met a dragon as charming and comfortable as you"**]. He said causing Asia to blush.

"T-Thank you". This time it was Matsuda who was confused.

"I understand charming but what do you mean by comfortable Ddraig?"

**["Hm, you probably can't understand because you are not a dragon but the aura emanating from Asia gives off a very serene and peaceful feeling. It makes you feel as though it is alright to let your guard down around her.**"] Ddraig tried to explain to his partner.

"He's not wrong. Her presence does give off a very warm and pleasant feeling" Issei backed Ddraig's statement

"Anyways, you've never met anyone with a sacred gear at the church you worked at?" Issei asked Asia curiously, considering that Heaven should possess many users that work as exorcists unless he was mistaken.

"Ah, no! Because of my power, I was seen as a very important figure and have been treated as a saint. Therefore, I did not get any opportunities to meet many types of people. I was usually kept away from people and didn't have any friends because the church deemed those things to be unnecessary since my purpose was to heal those in need."

Both Matsuda and Issei looked at one another after Asia finished her explanation, appalled at the church for treating Asia as a tool rather than her own person.

"Asia" Matsuda looked at her with a serious face.

"Yes?"

"You've… never had a friend?" She smiled weakly twiddling her fingers as if a bit shy to admit it.

"N-No… I have not."

At her confirmation, Matsuda made his decision without any hesitation. He stepped forward and grabbed both her hands with his making her a bit flustered as she was taken by surprise.

"In that case Asia, let's fix that issue right away. Would you allow me to become your friend? I'm pretty sure Issei here would also like to become your friend as well. You can never have too many friends." Matsuda asked her with a smile. Issei nodded as well confirming that he would also like to become her friend. Asia's eyes widened and her expression made it very clear how shocked she was to hear Matsuda's question. However, she smiled and nodded with teary eyes.

"Yes… Yes I would love that" she answered as she cleaned away her tears filled with nothing but happiness at this wonderful moment.

Seeing her reaction caused Issei to smile softly.

"That's great. In that case, let's get you to the church. It's getting pretty late so we should hurry less you want to freeze." He joked a bit making everyone giggle. The three then proceeded to make their way to the church together. They continued their small talk and eventually reached the church. Asia took a moment to match the location to the address and saw that this was it.

"Yes, this is it." She jumped for joy having finally made it to her destination. Both the guys smiled at her joyful reactions but then froze for different reasons when they came near the entrance.

Matsuda started feeling chills simply being near the church as sweat could be seen coming out of his body. It was only naturel considering that he was a devil, a being of darkness and the church was a place which belongs to God and the Angels so of course he would feel really uncomfortable standing near such a place. In fact, he remembered his president strongly advising him that he should never get close to a church or even a shrine. Now he understands why.

Issei, on the other felt no such thing but rather could tell that there were supernatural entities inside and from their magical signatures, they seemed to be Fallen angels

"Fallen angels…" he said to himself. Asia, still ecstatic to have reached her destination did not hear him however Matsuda was a different story.

"D-did you say fallen angels!" Matsuda cringed when he heard Issei that. Looking towards him, Issei noticed Matsuda's body start trembling a bit and his expression was of dread. He must have had a very bad experience with fallen angels for him to react in such a way so his reaction is totally normal.

Asia was unaware of their turmoil as she turned around towards them.

"I can't thank you two enough for bringing me here. Can I invite you in for some tea… M-Matsuda-san, are you alright?" Asia wanted to invite them over for tea in gratitude for bringing her here when she noticed Matsuda's state and couldn't help but ask him how's he doing. Her expression showed nothing but genuine concern for his well-being. Truly, a caring and innocent woman.

Matsuda wanted to answer her but he didn't know what to say.

"Thank you very much for the offer Asia. Unfortunately, it is getting pretty late and we had a long day so may we take a rain check on your offer?" Issei politely decline her offer using the excuse that its late.

"Oh… I see" She seemed a bit sad. No doubt, wanting to show her gratitude by offering them tea.

"I'm sure we will meet again so you could invite us again next time. Isn't that right Matsuda-san" Issei looked to his classmate who finally seemed to snap out of his troubled state.

"Yeah… that's right. We are friends after all." He managed to utter those words.

This seemed to cheer her back up as her eyes seemed to fill with joy.

"yes, yes that would be wonderful. I would definitely come and see you". Asia bowed her head down as both of them left the premises waving their arms goodbye as Asia entered the church.

When they were out of sight, they started conversing once more.

"Are you sure it was alright to let her go?" asked a genuinely concerned Matsuda, not wanting anything bad to happen to Asia. Issei also wondered the same thing. Unfortunately, there were to many variables to consider. On one hand, he also didn't want Asia to come to harm and if push come to shove, he would defend her with all his might. On the other hand, he did not want to cause any unnecessary burden on Rias. This city is widely known to be devil territory and if he killed the fallen angels stationed here, it could spell trouble for Rias. His presence here is not known to the world so it would probably be seen as devils attacking fallen angels. This could serve as a catalyst for another great war. Without knowing where those fallen angels stood, their hands were tied. It was probably the reason why Rias hasn't already dealt with the situation already. It was simply too risky.

"Honestly, I don't know. There are simply to many unknowns in this situation. Plus, there is no way you could have entered that place, given your state of mind. Clearly, something happened between you and the fallen angels. I won't pry but for now, you should probably head back to Rias and tell her what we found." Issei explained, all the while thinking what his next course of action should be.

Although reluctant, Matsuda understood where Issei was coming from and nodded.

"Very well. In that case, I'll see you tomorrow Issei. Buchou might want to get your take on today's events so be ready just in case."

"I understand. See you tomorrow and have a good night Matsuda." Issei wished him a goodnight and Matsuda did the same as they both went their own paths. Matsuda went back to school to tell Rias what occurred while Issei headed back home. On his way back, he kept pondering what the best course of action would be to take at this point. He wasn't lying to Matsuda when he told him that he didn't know what to do. It's just that there were too many factors to consider however, when push come to shove, he will do whatever is necessary to protect his friends. That is the entire reason he became stronger in the first place. However, once he gets involved, no doubt his secret will be harder to hide. This was certainly becoming a massive headache so he decided to wait and ask his father for advice.

Arriving at home, he spotted the person he wanted to talk to.

"Hey dad, can I talk to you for a moment." Great-red looked back from the couch at his son.

"**Sure son. What do you need?**" Great asked while tapping the seat next to him, inciting Issei to it next to him which Issei gladly accepted.

"It's a long story so I need to tell you a few things beforehand." His father nodded showing he had his full attention so Issei began recounting the events from the time he met Asia to the time he left her at the church.

Great-red took in everything his son said and could see why his son was worried.

"**hmm… Devils, Fallen angels, dragons and now a half Dragon sister with a sacred gear and a healing one at that. Most interesting! Did you ask what type of dragon she was?" **Great-red asked his son wondering what kind of dragon this Asia was. Issei thought back to their conversation and realized he never took the opportunity to ask so he shook his head negatively.

"No, I completely forgot to ask her. When we meet again, I'll ask her then." He told his father who nodded.

"**Very well! Still, a lot of different factors are gathered in this town. I can see why you are very worried**."

"Right, and now I'm not sure what to do. I need some advice and I was hoping you had some for me?" He looked to his father for advice praying beyond hope that he had the answers.

"**Unfortunately, son I cannot give you the answer you seek for I do not know. Despite who I am, I'm not omniscient. I may be all powerful but I'm certainly not all-knowing. I don't know everything that occurs nor can I know what the future holds. Your birth is a prime example of that. The only advice I can offer you is to follow your own heart and do what you believe is the right thing. You don't need to concern yourself with unnecessary things like hiding your existence anymore. You have become strong enough to be able to deal with most enemies you encounter. We knew that eventually; your existence would come to light so, at the very least, you should control when it happens rather than let outside forces dictate it. Don't forget, no matter what happens, your mother and I are behind you all the way**." Great-red reassured his son who took his words to heart.

"Thank you, dad" he answered with a smile with great red returning with his own.

"**Anytime, hope it helped**." Issei nodded his head.

"Yes, it did. Anyways, I'm tired so I'm going to bed. Have a good night dad."

"**Sweet dreams, my boy**." He gave him a wave of his hand as Issei went up the stairs and into his room feeling a bit more relieved. His father was right. He had no time to worry about the consequences in the matter of his existence. The only thing he could and should do is to do what he believes is right. After thinking over it, he slowly drifted to sleep.

The next day came by very fast for Issei as he got up, yawned and stretched, ready to start the day. Until he looked at the clock and it read 1:30 pm making his eyes blow out of his sockets

"Oh shit, I'm late for school." He panicked, not believing that he was able to oversleep for such a long time. Normally his alarm wakes him up at precisely 7 in the morning. It was only when he saw his calendar that he calmed down.

"Oh, thank god… it's a day off" In all his hysteria, he forgot that he had a day off today. Breathing a sigh of relief, he calmed himself down, thinking about what to do for the day. He decided to go outside and walk around the neighborhood and later on he could probably ask Akeno out on a date. With a plan in mind, he ate his breakfast, thanked his mother and left for a walk around the block. Issei enjoys walking. Feeling the outdoor breeze on his face always calms him down and it also reminds him of his time in the dragon territory when he soared across the sky in his dragon form. Flying is definitely one of the best experiences he had ever had. Thinking about his time over there caused him to think about how the younglings are doing. It hasn't even been a few weeks since he left but he still misses all of them. They all became a second family to him. His mother did say that they all asked for him so he should probably take some time and go visit them. He had no doubt that Bova would probably challenge him as soon as he sets foot in that place. Not that he minded, of course. It's heartening to see Bova constantly challenging him despite knowing that he would lose every single time. Issei can't help but marvel at Bova's will to never give up despite the odds, although that is a trait every dragon share.

While he was slowly losing himself down memory lane, he suddenly felt a chill crawl down his spine. He knew something was wrong when he noticed that there were less and less normal civilians as he walked down his path.

'A barrier?' That was the only logical conclusion he could think of that would fit the situation. Using his senses, he quickly pinpointed where the barrier was and made his way there. Arriving near the barrier, he noticed that the barrier was used to keep normal people away rather than keeping people in and out so he was able to enter quickly. This was when he felt two very familiar signatures alongside another

"Shit" he screamed as he bolted towards the center of the park. He arrived quickly only to see Matsuda kneeling over injured while Asia was being held by a raven-haired Fallen angel. Unfortunately, before he could save her, they teleported away, most likely back to their headquarters.

'dammit' thought a frustrated Issei as he arrived too little to late. Raynare had already left with Asia leaving an injured Matsuda who slammed his fist on the ground dejected at the fact that he could not save his friend

"Dammit, I couldn't save her. I'm supposed to be the fucking red dragon emperor but I was powerless to do anything. I I couldn't save her… why am I SO WEAK" Matsuda kept slamming his fist, constantly berating himself for not saving Asia, tears dropping down his face.

He then felt a hand on his shoulder looking over to see Issei looking at him with sympathy and concern.

"It's not your fault, Matsuda-san. She is a fallen angel and therefore is your weakness due to their light abilities. It doesn't matter whether or not you are the red dragon emperor. You may not believe me but I do understand what you are feeling right now. I've been there. The absolute feeling of helplessness from feeling powerless at not saving someone whom you care for." Issei looked towards the sky, reminiscing at his past but then looked back at Matsuda

"However, now it is not the time to be moping around. Are you going to keep wallowing in despair or are you going to get up and do something about it because right now Asia needs your help." He adamantly stated.

Taking a moment, Matsuda made his decision as he stood up.

"You are right… sorry for the pathetic display." He said, feeling a bit better after Issei's assertion.

"Very well then. The first we got to do is notify Rias of current events. I'm sure you don't want your king and your teammates to worry about you. Now hold on to me! I'll teleport us both to the clubroom." Matsuda nodded as he clutched Issei's shoulder. They then both disappeared in a pillar of flames as Issei teleported them to their aforementioned destination.

In the clubroom, Rias was busy writing a report while having Akeno standing next to her. Kiba and Koneko could be seen doing their own thing. All of them were startled when Issei suddenly teleported in but they were even more shocked when they Matsuda with him and he was clearly injured.

"What happened" Rias shouted as Akeno stepped forward to heal Matsuda as best as possible.

"Kind of a long story, so you should probably take a seat." Her pawn stated. He then proceeded to tell her everything that happened, from his time spending with Asia, taking her to eat at a restaurant, bringing her to the arcade all the way until the time they encountered Raynare again and she explained how she needed Asia for a ritual all the way to the present. All the while Rias listened attentively to everything right until the point Matsuda claimed he was going to rescue her.

"I'm sorry but I cannot allow you to save that Sister." Matsuda was honestly extremely shocked at Rias,

"huuh… why Buchou" he asked clearly feeling lost. Issei simply continued to listen patiently wanting to see where this goes.

"The simple reason being that your friend is affiliated with the fallen angels who are our enemies."

"Asia isn't our enemy. She is my friend and I will never abandon my friend" Matsuda interrupted Rias who let it go

"That is a wonderful thing and it's amazing that you can boldly claim that face to face however this is entirely a separate issue. The relationship between Devils and Fallen angels is not as simple as you think. We may have a ceasefire currently but if you show them a single gap of weakness, they will kill us. They are our enemy" she tried to reason with her pawn

"Wasn't blowing away the enemy the Gremory's way of doing things" sadly, it did not seem to work as Matsuda rebutted her once more. They were now both glaring at each other, neither one of them backing off. Honestly, Issei was surprised that Matsuda had the courage to deny Rias considering how he likes her. But it seems some things are just worth fighting for.

"Even so, I cannot allow it. Your actions would not only affect me but also every other member. You are a member of the Gremory peerage and you need to be aware of that." Rias said calmly but stated it as if warning him.

"Then, I will go myself if I have too. I don't know what they are planning with this ritual but I know it spells bad news for Asia and I will not allow it."

"Listen, I understand how you feel but you need to think rationally. By now, the fallen angels have no doubt retreated back to the church and bolstered their defenses. That place is effectively the enemy's headquarter. You will definitely get killed if you go and, as I explained to you before, I will not be able to revive you again meaning you would truly die this time." Once again, she tried to warn him of the potential consequences but he refused to listen.

"It doesn't matter if I die as long as I can save her. Asia is my friend and I won't abandon my friend!" he stated before bolting from the clubroom.

"huuh" sighed Rias before sitting back down placing a hand on her head.

"You must think me heartless for throwing away the sister's life, don't you Issei?" she inquired him thinking she made a bad impression based on the earlier conversation and considering that the sister was also his friend. But, to her surprised he shook his head negatively.

"No, I don't. I understand your reasons for not being able to save her. Both of your factions are still enemies despite the ceasefire and even the simplest action can result in another war. You are simply doing the best you can to prevent the worst-case scenario and I cannot fault you for that. Without the permission from your Maou's, you are restricted in the actions you can make. I'm sure that deep down, Matsuda understands why you can't get involved but it seems his stubbornness knows no bounds." He said causing a chuckle to rise from Rias.

"Ufu, yes indeed. However, his determination and loyalty to protect his friends is one of the qualities I really admire about him." She said. Everyone else nodded, agreeing with their king. Matsuda might be a pervert but he was one who would risk his own life to ensure his friends safety.

"In any case, while you cannot intervene due to the conflict between your factions, I am an entirely different matter since I hold no allegiance to any factions so there will be no chance for any repercussion to fall unto you. I should go ahead and catch up to him before he does anything more reckless." He stopped before smiling at Rias "Plus, despite everything that you said, I know that you tried to give Matsuda every bit of support you could to save Asia." Issei said making his way out.

"Oh, is that so!" she remarked causing Issei smile to turn into a smirk.

"Oh yes, I heard you loud and clear. You told your pawn that the church is the '**enemy headquarters**'. Now, it's time I show them why you should never anger a dragon." Issei said before flaming out, likely teleporting to catch up to Matsuda.

"ufu, it really is a shame that I could not reincarnate him into my peerage." Rias chuckled as she marveled at the fact that Issei was able to figure out the true meaning behind her statement and once more regretting the fact that he rejected becoming a member of her peerage. It was then that Rias received the call that she had been waiting for.

"It's time. Is everyone, ready?" All of them nodded.

Matsuda hurried along his way to make it to the church in order to save Asia. There is nothing that will stop him from saving his friend and he was not lying to his master when he said he would go at it alone. Which is why it was a good thing that somebody had his back.

All of a sudden Matsuda felt himself being raised off the ground as someone grabbed his shirt and literally lifted him off the ground preventing him from proceeding. At first, Matsuda thought that it was the enemy that caught him but upon closer inspection, he saw that it was in fact Issei who stopped him.

"Hey man, why the hell are you manhandling me? Let me go." Shouted a frustrated Matsuda, trying to wrangle himself out of Issei's grasp to no avail. He did not have a single moment to spare.

"I'm trying to save your life, you idiot. What the heck do you think you will accomplish storming the place all by yourself." Asked Issei.

"Obviously, I'm trying to save _our_ friend whose been abducted by our enemies." He placed the emphasis on the word 'our' trying to remind Issei that Asia is also his friend.

"I know that but you need to calm down and think rationally" Issei tried to calm his friend down.

"YOUR TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN WHEN EVERY SECOND WE SPEND IS A SECOND MORE THEY HAVE TO FINISH THEIR RITUAL ON ASIA!" Matsuda screamed in anger but it did not affect Issei the he thought it would, although you could tell from his expression that he was beginning to become a bit irritated but tried to remain composed.

"I understand that but what do you think charging in recklessly is going to accomplish by yourself. All you'll end up doing is getting yourself killed pointlessly just like Rias explained. How do you think Asia is going to feel when she finds out you died trying to save her. It would devastate her. You need to think before you act. There is a difference between courage and just plain recklessness. Please don't forget that you have people who are waiting for you to come back. Despite what you may think, Rias Gremory is definitely worried about you and was also trying to look out for you." Issei pointed out how affected everyone else would be should he die.

Letting the words sink in allowed Matsuda to finally calm down.

"I… um… you… your right. I wasn't thinking straight. Thanks" he sighed thanking Issei for his help. Seeing Matsuda calm down, Issei released him from his grasp and smiled.

"Besides, while you may think Rias did not want to help you, nothing could be further from the truth." He mentioned causing Matsuda to wonder what he meant

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't notice due to your rage but Rias gave you as much support as she could with the limited amount of authority she possessed. She clearly told 'you' her pawn, that the church was the enemy headquarters. Now why do you think she would tell you that?" he let Matsuda think on it, hoping he would understand the meaning behind her words until it clicked in his mind remembering what she taught him about pawns. Now he felt like crap for the having lashed out at her and calling her heartless.

"I… really am an idiot." He looked dejected.

"Don't worry about it. She does not blame you for it. If anything, she really admires your dedication to your friends and is very proud of you." He tried to reassure as best as he could. It seemed to success as Matsuda seemed more elated.

"Good now that this is settled, we still have to save Asia so let's go" he said shocking Matsuda since he thought he came to stop him. Realizing his thoughts Issei clarified

"I only stopped you from doing something reckless, I never said I'd stop you from saving her. I'm also going along with you since… Asia is also my friend so let's go, we don't have a moment to lose." They both then made their way to their intended destination.

Now outside the church, Issei began plotting their next move.

"Out of curiosity, what were you intending to do once you got here. Just bust in the front door and demand they release Asia?" he asked Matsuda.

"hehe, now that I think about, that is indeed a dumb move huh" he said looking down in shame and embarrassment, now seeing how stupid his strategy was.

"Don't worry about it. You were not thinking clearly back then with only your determination to drive you. It's a good thing to have mind you but that does not mean you should throw rationality out of the window especially if you are going to face opponents who outnumbered and overpower you." Advised Issei recounting all the lessons he'd been taught. He never thought he'd be the one teaching it to someone else since he never saw himself as a teacher. His uncle would be so proud of him.

'_Oops, now is not the time to wonder_' Issei thought to himself as he recomposed himself.

"Alright then, let's see what we are up against. Give me a moment." He told Matsuda, as he closed his eyes and focused his senses entirely on the church in order to scout how many enemies they were dealing with.

Looking at Issei, Matsuda did not understand what he was doing until a voice interrupted him.

[**He is currently using his senses to scour the building to find out how enemies you are dealing with**.] Ddraig said.

"Wow he can do that. Amazing" he was awed at Issei's ability making Ddraig chuckle

[**Of course, partner. Dragons have always possessed the sharpest senses compared to other races. Even you can do this with enough training since you possess me**.] Ddraig explained to his partner although even he was surprised that Issei was able to master such an advanced technique at such a young age. From what Ddraig could see, not only was Issei focusing on the church but also all the surrounding environment around the church, most likely to see if any enemies were patrolling around them. It was amazing to say the least.

Meanwhile, Issei was entirely focused on his task. He could feel the presences of many people residing in the church and from their auras he could tell which races they belonged to. However, there was something that worried him. Of the enemies he could sense, there were a few who felt like humans yet there was something off about their aura that felt inhumane. He had never felt such a presence in his life. Opening his eyes, he let Matsuda know of his findings.

"Alright, based on what I could tell, there are 2 floors in that building. Asia is located in the basement floor accompanied by 4 fallen angels, one of them being that Raynare chick that took her. Luckily, there are no abnormalities with her aura meaning they have not done anything to her yet but it appears that she is most likely unconscious. There are also several exorcists located inside. I counted at least 100 as well as a few other soldiers that quite frankly I have no idea what they are. Now aren't you glad that I stopped from heading off to your doom" he smirked at Matsuda when he told him the last part.

"Ha ha ha, very funny. I get it. I was an idiot for going at it alone. You don't need to rub it in." he said sarcastically.

"Sorry, couldn't help it. Anyways, shall we go through the front entrance. There is no doubt that the fallen angels have anticipated our arrival which is why there are so many signatures inside so there is no point in being subtle." Issei insinuated

"Alright, now you are speaking my language. You ready Ddraig." Matsuda slammed both his fists together ready to strike while his boosted gear manifested on his arm

**["Always, partner"]**

BOOST

"Alright, let's start by introducing ourselves." Issei said as he formed an orb of fire and used it to blast away the front doors of the sanctuary.

At this point, there is no going back but that was never an option for the both of them as they head straight in. As the dust started to settle, their surrounding started to become much clearer. Matsuda then spotted several stray exorcists throughout the room. He counted maybe around 30. That is a big number but he would not let that defeat him. He would beat them all in order to proceed further to save Asia. Issei had already identified how many exorcists lied in wait on the current floor. He was simply thinking on how to deal with the situation as effectively as possible. He obviously couldn't go all out less he attract some unwanted attention towards himself but also he didn't want to reduce the city he lived in to rubble. Just as he was pondering to himself, he suddenly felt more signatures heading their way which made him unintentionally smirked. His thought were interrupted when he heard the sound of clapping echoing throughout the sanctuary. Someone who looked like a priest showed up behind the pillar.

Seeing his face, Matsuda became disgusted which was an indicator to Issei that he had met this person before.

"Oya oya, you are the devil from before. What a meeting, this is a reunion. Ha ha ha I'm feeling so emotional" he said sporting an insane smile.

"You know this freak?" Issei asked.

"Unfortunately! That insane asshole killed an innocent man and also almost killed Koneko-chan as well as myself." He said in disgust never looking away from the insane priest who simply laughed after hearing the devil speak.

"Of course, I killed him. He was a criminal who had been summoning devils, so I had to kill him. I just did what any other exorcists would do, rid the world of evil. I mean, humans who make pact with devils are nothing but scum." He said with all the other stray exorcists nodding agreeing with their comrades view.

"You guys came to rescue little Asia, right? Hahaha! How it warms my bleeding heart that Devils-samas are big hearted for coming here to save a bitch like that who can heal devils. Well, you are too late though. She will die soon enough." He mocked them but his statement worried both of them.

"Die, what the fuck do you mean?" shouted an enraged Matsuda.

"Oh… hahahaha, you guys don't know anything, well allow Freed-sama here to enlighten you. The ritual about to take place will apparently extract the sacred gear currently hosted by little Asia. Apparently Raynare and the others acquired a tool that allows the extraction of sacred gears. Amazing, isn't it!" he exclaimed shocking both of them since it seemed impossible.

"Is that even possible Ddraig?" Matsuda asked his partner.

**["hmm, I've never heard of such a thing but removing a Sacred Gear which is tied to someone soul – it would surely end in death"**]. His statement shook their cores as the urgency of their shot way up. Issei's face was shadowed by his hair as anger slowly started to rise up and his power slowly leaked out from causing the atmosphere around them to shiver yet the exorcists payed no attention.

"Forget about that. There is another problem I'm currently facing. I have never met the same devil twice before! You know it's because I am super strong, I cut devils into pieces when I first meet them! That's how I always lived but you… you guys ruined my style. I hate people who have the audacity to interfere with my style~! That's why ~ you all piss me off! That is why I have tinsy winsy favor to ask. DIE you trashy Deeeeeeeevils" he shouted in rage taking out his gun and one handed light sword. That seemed to mark the start of the fight as the other exorcists began to surround them causing Matsuda to heighten his guard ready to strike and counter at a moments notice.

Five of the exorcists shot forward at the same time wanting to strike first and be done with them. All of them believed that this would be an easy fight.

.

.

Boy how wrong they would turn out to be.

In an instant, the five exorcists were blown backwards by Issei who striked faster than they could even see. All of them crashed on the walls, breaking their bones. 3 of them instantly died upon collision while the others were rendered unconscious. This surprised Freed and the others who had no idea what had happened. One moment, their comrades were on the offense and the next they were easily incapacitated or worse killed. What occurred was very simple, Issei, with a wave of his arm blew them away but he moved so fast to the point that none of them even realized they were hit.

"**You will all pay very dearly for toying with my friend's life you miserable vermin**." Everyone suddenly heard Issei speak in a much deeper voice, clearly very angry at the moment. However, the moment he lifted his head, all the exorcists shuttered in fear when they looked upon Issei's face. His eyes were replaced with crimson glowing eyes with a vertical black slit promising them nothing but death and despair. Even Freed could do nothing shake in terror at the sight of those eyes.

"W-What are you?" he tried to save face yet clearly failed. Issei turned his attention towards him as silence ensued.

.

.

"**Your worst nightmare**" was all they heard when a sudden pressure forced them to kneel. That pressure was coming from Issei who release his killing intent. Never in their life had they felt death looming over them as close as right now. No one could move a single muscle and were at the mercy of this abomination in front of them.

However, all of the sudden, the pressure seemed to have vanished as quickly as it appeared. They looked up to see that Issei had disappeared from his spot.

"Unfortunately, I do not have the time to play around with you. Which is why… Matsuda, I'm leaving you and the others to take care of this trash." They all heard a voice coming from behind. Looking around, Issei had somehow materialized near the pillar, his back to looking human and no one noticed a thing. He then pushed the pillar side revealing a staircase leading to the bottom floor as he made his way down.

No one followed after him, still stunned by everything that happened.

"Hey, I want to save Asia too and… what do you mean by others, I'm the only one here" shouted Matsuda, not understanding what Issei meant until he heard a very familiar voice.

"Oh my, it seems we arrived a bit late. The party has already started"

"ara ara, it seems Issei went ahead. I may have to punish him for leaving us behind, ufu ufu"

"It can't be helped fuku-buchou, he most likely went ahead to save the sister."

"Yes."

"Buchou… everyone" Matsuda looked on in shock not believing his eyes.

"But… I thought you weren't going to get involved." Was all Matsuda could say still not believing that everyone came considering how Rias was very adamant in not getting involved in this matter.

Rias smiled

"I never said I wasn't going to get involved. I just didn't want you to go by yourself but that does not mean I was going to let fallen angels have their way in my town. Just recently, I finally received a call from my brother who told me that Azazel, the fallen angel leader, has stated that the fallen angels currently here are not under any orders from him, meaning they are to be considered rogue fallen so my brother gave me the go ahead to take them down." Rias explained. Matsuda could do nothing but stare wide eyed at his king.

He then looked down in shame, not believing that he doubted this woman for a second.

"I'm sorry Buchou… I shouldn't have doubted you… It's just that I…" Matsuda faltered as the words came out of his mouth

"It's okay, I understand. You were only trying to save a friend. I wouldn't expect anything less from my pawn." Not only did Rias understand him but he noticed that she seemed to beam with pride when she told him that.

"Anyways, this is not the time or the place for such banter. We have opponents to deal with. So everyone, let's do what the Gremory peerage does best and blow our opponents away"

"Yes, Buchou" Everyone nodded at Rias command and took their positions.

Freed finally took this moment to recover, shaking his head wildly to regain his composure from his previous state.

"Well, well, well. It seems we have more devils coming to intrude on our little party. Seems we are being graced with the princess of all scums" Freed turned his attention towards the devils, his insane smirk, present once more on his face.

"You aren't exactly a sight for sore eyes but at the same time, this is perfect. I have yet to pay you back for injuring Koneko-chan as well as Matsuda-kun. Please allow me to rectify that this moment." Rias answered him back with a very angry stare.

"tch, alright guys, let's kill these devil scums once and for all. The people below will be able to take care of that filthy abomination so we can just enjoy slaughtering these devils." Freed shouted trying to rile up the others which seemed to work as they encircled the newly arrived Gremory peerage.

"It seems we are being underestimated here. No matter, let's take care of this and go help Issei-kun to save the sister. Kiba, you take care of Freed and everyone else will deal with the other exorcists." She said while an orb of destruction appeared on the palm of her hands. Meanwhile Akeno switched to her shrine outfit as lightning seem to crackle around her.

"Yes." Immediately Kiba sprinted towards Freed as they crossed swords and that was the signal to begin the battle as the other exorcists rushed in.

**END CHAPTER**

**Well, that's the end of this chapter. **

**Issei vs the fallen angels is next and that will be the last chapter of the Raynare Arc.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed it and as usual don't be afraid to leave a review or PM me if you'd like.**

**See you next time**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys, we are back with a brand new chapter.**

**It is what you've been waiting for, the fight between Issei and the fallen angels although most if not all of you already know the outcome of the fight.**

**I never understood why in the anime and even the light novel, when Raynare gets the twilight healing from Asia, she goes nuts saying that she has obtained supreme power and will now be able to rise the ranks and be usefull to her superiors and I'm like…. Wait WHAT? What the fuck is she saying.**

**Twilight healing is not a supreme power. It can only heal wounds and not even restore stamina. It does not bring back the dead like the holy grail in addition to healing and she acts like she retrieved a longinus.**

**If she got Annihilation Maker or true longinus or any longinus then what she is spouting would have made sense but no, she only got twilight healing, a sacred gear that not even unique, there are other twilight healing users but she shouts that she got supreme powers in her hands now. **

**I mean if twilight healing was considered supreme power then Rias would have automatically been promoted to ultimate clas because she is in possession of such a force. Then when Grayfia comes up and says the fight between rias and raiser will be settled in a Rating game, he would be like 'oh no it's not fair, she has twilight healing, I can never defeat her, this is blatant favoritism by the Maou'… LOL.**

**Anyways I rambled enough. I hope you enjoy the next chapter and I thank all of you for follow/favorite my story. We are getting ever so closer to the 1000 mark. On with the story.**

Down below, Issei descended the stairs then walked across a single passage until he reached a big door. On the other side, he could tell were the rest of his enemies seemingly awaiting his arrival, however one thing bothered him. He could no longer detect the unknown soldiers he located previously. He was actually impressed that they were able to hide their presences from a dragon's senses, much less his own. This could only mean one thing.

'_ambush'_

They were most likely planning to ambush him the moment he entered the room or were waiting for him to let his guard down before striking him. He will find out soon enough as he blasted the doors open, making everyone turn their attention towards him.

Entering the room, he spotted the rest of the exorcists who were each carrying blades of light in their hands and they were all directed towards him. Further away, he spotted 4 fallen angels. One of them is the female Raynare who he remembered taking away Asia and injuring Matsuda.

Another was what seemed to look like a short girl with blond hair styled into twin tails with blue eyes. She wore a Gothic Lolita attire, which consisted of a black Lolita dress with white frills, a large black bow on the front, and a green jewel embedded on the collar, white thigh-high socks, and black shoes.

Next to her was a tall and buxom with brown eyes and long navy-blue hair that somewhat obscured her face. She was wearing a maroon, trench coat-like top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt, and black heeled shoes. The trench coat top was open at her chest, giving view to her breasts and cleavage.

Last was the only male in the group. Based on his appearance, he looked to be middle age man with short black hair and dark blue eyes.

Finally, he spotted the person he came to save, Asia. Her limbs were shackled to what seemed like a machine-like structure. No doubt a tool they were planning to use for this ritual. He scanned her magical signature once more and breathed a sigh of relief to see that she was still alive and well. She was simply unconscious at the moment.

"Who the heck is this guy, Raynare?" he heard the blond one asked Raynare the question.

"I don't know Mettelt but whoever he is, he must be affiliated with those devils. I need you three to buy me some time so I can implement the ritual to extract this girl's sacred gear." Raynare ordered the three to stall him. Not that Issei would even let them.

"Whoever he is, he isn't that bright. Coming here by himself to take on all of us? What an imbecile, don't you think so Dohnasheek?" said the blue haired woman looking at her male comrade.

"Indeed, Kalawarner. I can't feel an ounce of power coming from the guy so he must be weak. Hah, they must have sent him here as a sacrificial pawn. What a joke. The soldiers gathered here are enough to deal with this" said the newly named Dohnasheek. It was clear that their arrogance knew no bounds as they insulted Issei in front of his face, not knowing the real difference in their power.

"You were a fool to come here by yourself. If you had any brains, you would have escaped the moment you entered this room but instead you choose to face us. What do you hope to do against all of us by yourself?" Dohnasheek asked arrogantly. All of the fallen angels wearing smirks on their faces as the two exorcists from earlier prepared to slash away at him from both directions.

"What I plan to do?" they heard him say.

The exorcists got closer

.

"It's simple, really."

.

They swung their blades thinking they would decapitate the intruder but instead their blades collided with something incredibly hard.

What blocked them were two scaly crimson wings.

"I plan… **to annihilate all of you**" his voice turned deep sending shivers down everyone's spine realizing that the enemy in front of them wasn't normal. However, it was only when he revealed his face behind his wings that caused everyone to flinch. Just like before, his eyes turned into slits as he used his wings to bisect the two exorcists foolish enough to charge at him. Blood spurted everywhere at the remains of the exorcists fell on the ground, a truly gruesome scene for everyone to see.

The fallen angels examined his appearance. Crimson wings and reptilian eyes. There was only one species they knew that fit this criterion.

"A-A DRAGON! What the heck is a dragon doing here?" screamed Mettelt in fright as her body started quivering. The others were not so different, never expecting to come face to face with a dragon of all things.

That very dragon turned his focus to them, his piercing red eyes seemed to stare at their very soul.

"**I came to save my friend, fallen angel**" they heard him say causing Mettlet to point at the unconscious Asia

"You mean this sister. I didn't know that this bitch even had any friends."

.

Big mistake. A sudden pillar of fire suddenly burst from underneath her, consuming her whole body as she was reduced to ash. She was killed, without even a shred of resistance. No one knew what had occurred as it happened even faster than a blink of the eye. The other three fallen angels could do nothing but stare wide eyed at the pile of ash that used to be their comrades.

"W…W-What just happened" whispered Kalawarner clearly in a state of shock, mirrored by her comrades.

"**She got what she deserved, insulting my friend. Now I will teach you miserable insects what happens when you anger a dragon… but first"**

**HOLY SPHERE**

A sphere was suddenly conjured around Asia as well as the artifact she was attached to, forming a protective barrier made up of Issei's holy flame, once more catching everyone off guard.

"**There, at least now she is safe while I deal with all of you**". With Asia protected by his barrier, Issei could now focus entirely on eliminating all of them.

Raynare and her comrades conjured their own spears of light and tried to destroy the sphere surrounding Asia. Unfortunately, their strike did not even make a single dent on it.

"W-What is this?" shouted Raynare as she continued her relentless assault with no success.

"**Hmf, don't even bother. There is no chance your weak attacks will even make a dent on it. Although, considering you are or used to be angels, I'm surprised you haven't already guessed what power that is**." smirked Issei. Taking a moment to examine the sphere, Raynare went wide eyed when she finally noticed what it was made of.

"Im-Impossible… That's impossible. How are you able to use holy flames, an ability only God of the bible and the seraphs can use!" She couldn't believe it. Holy flames were regarded as one of the most powerful flames. The fact that only God of the bible as well as only the Seraphs were able to use them, proved it and yet here was an unknown dragon capable of conjuring them and to a masterful degree it seems. This is getting from bad to worst for Raynare as she was watching her plans crumble to pieces by a single entity. The others as well, couldn't believe the predicament they were in. Gone were any traces of their arrogance as sweat beaded down their faces as fear overtook them.

"All of you, ATTACK HIM NOW" Dohnasheek screamed at the exorcists to attack Issei but they were rooted in place by the sheer pressure coming from Issei's killing intent.

"**Unfortunately,** **I don't have time to waste so I'll finish you all right now**."

Issei lifted his arm

"**IMPALLING DECIMATION**"

In an instant, multiple flaming spears rained down upon each exorcist, impaling them all. Their bodies instantly consumed by the flames reducing them all to ash. The fallen angels were taken aback by this.

"What the heck just happened? I didn't even see him conjuring all those spears." Said a panicked Dohnasheek having no idea what to do.

Issei was ready to finish the fallen angels as well when his instincts flared at him, warning him of a potential danger nearby. That was then he looked at his surroundings and noticed something weird. The shadows around him seemed to slowly be shifting as if they had a mind of their own. All of a sudden, from the shadows sprung multiple beings as they charged towards Issei in a surprise attack. Luckily, thanks to his instincts he was able to react just in time as he dodged the enemy strikes by jumping backwards. He automatically covered his body in scales for good measure since you could never be too careful as was taught by Tannin. Multiple sword stabs were heard crashing into the spot Issei was previously as Issei got a good look on his attackers. There were approximately a dozen of them and these were the soldiers he lost track of when he came downstairs. He never expected them to be able to meld within the shadows of objects to ambush him. Pretty creative. They appeared to be human beings yet for some reason he couldn't understand, they did not really feel human. They all wore some strange masks and were each carrying a light sword for offense.

These weird soldiers did not waste any time as multiple of them attacked simultaneously from all directions, prompting Issei to use his wings as a means of defense. All of their swords were repelled when they made contact with his scales not able to even damage them. They were indeed a lot stronger than the stray exorcists he disposed off earlier, however…

"**You may be stronger than those exorcists, but you are still to weak to deal with someone like me**" Issei then counter attacked delivering a powerful body blow to each of his assailants sending them flying and crashing on the wall. They were most definitely down for the count as Issei focused on the rest of them. Yet, he noticed that none of them showed a single reaction to their comrades being killed by him which puzzled him. That was when he heard multiple cracking sound coming from the bodies he supposedly killed.

CRACK CRACK CRACK

Slowly, their bodies seem to be placing themselves back into place.

'hmm some type of body Regeneration' he thought to himself. However, this proved that he was not simply facing normal humans. A normal human would have instantly died when he smashed them against the wall like that… meaning only one thing.

"**Enhanced humans**?" he said aloud, raising a brow in curiosity. He had never expected to come across such humans. But, his curiosity soon turned into anger when he understood that these humans were experimented upon. It now made sense why they felt dead. They had no mind of their own and seemed to only care about one purpose and that is to eliminate the enemy in front of them, not caring about themselves.

"**How despicable**" he couldn't help but be disgusted at whoever is responsible for creating such abominations. While he was having an inner monologue with himself, the enhanced soldiers had fully surrounded him with their swords in hand. He then noticed their light swords changing color from their usual white to a darker red. He felt a small chill now coming from the blade.

"**Dragon slayer**?" Although weak, he could definitely feel a dragon slaying property oozing off that blade. Somehow, these soldiers were able to change the property of their blades to suit the situation. It would seem that they are not as mindless as he first though although he still wondered whether it was an ability infused within them or within the swords. He pushed those thoughts aside for now, as he still had a battle to finish. However, due to their regeneration, he either had to deliver a blow that they could not recover from or destroy their body entirely. He possessed a lot of abilities in his arsenal that could do the trick however he had to be very careful because if he unleashes to much power, he could easily collapse the building. Asia would be protected thanks to his holy sphere but his friends above would definitely be caught in the crossfire, something he really wanted to avoid.

'ughh, maybe I should have told them to stay back.' He thought to himself although he was pretty sure that would have been a futile effort. Short of incapacitating Matsuda, there was no way to prevent him from coming here to rescue Asia and there was no way to prevent Rias and the others to come and help.

"**In that case, let's try this**."

**GLACIAL WAVE**

A sphere made of blue flames appeared on the ground surrounding Issei and then shot outwards causing anything it touched to be turned to solid ice. The fallen angels were able to dodge the attack by taking flight however the same could be said for the enhanced humans. They had all charged towards him hoping to land a simultaneous assault however that charge prevented them from being able to defend themselves against his attack a they were turned into ice sculptures.

In what seemed like a moment, the entire room was encased in solid ice. The only place that was spared was Asia who was protected by his barrier.

Up in the air, the fallen angels witnessed, in disbelief, at the power displayed by this single entity. In one move, he practically eliminated all of their army. Not even the enhanced soldiers given to them by their collaborator fared any better than the exorcists and they knew that they were way stronger than the common human, yet to see them dealt with so easily was unbelievable. They could not stop their bodies from trembling at the overwhelming might this dragon possessed. Their first instinct was to run away but they didn't even know if they could even escape his wrath. All of his attacks were executed in the blink of an eye. Mettlet was erased before they even knew what happened. Teleporting out of there required a few seconds but even those seconds might as well have been hours with how quick he appeared to be. In their minds, they already knew. Their lives were entirely in his hands and it did not seem he would spare them any mercy.

"**Now, it's your turn Fallen Angels**" They heard Issei state. They looked back TO him and noticed his gaze directed straight at them.

"W WWWW WAIT! PLEASE SPARE OUR LIVES. WEWEWE WILL GIVE UP ON OUR PLANS AND WILL LEAVE THIS PLACE THIS INSTANT. I SWEAR IT. JUST PLEASE LET US LIVE, I BEG YOUUUU!" shrieked a horrified Raynare begging Issei to spare their lives. Her fellow comrades sharing her sentiments. Unfortunately, it did nothing but anger Issei even more.

"**You dare have the nerve to ask me to spare your miserable lives when you were going to kill Asia without a second thought! You messed with my friend and for that you will pay dearly so no…you will receive no such mercy from me wench. Like I told you before, I plan to annihilate all of you**" stated an enraged Issei with clenched teeth, his fangs could be spotted, and balled fists. He gave them a piercing glare that scared the living hell out of them.

With movements ever so gradual, he stepped forward coming closer towards them. Yet, to their perspective, with every step he took, his form seemed to be growing in size, increasing to no ends to the point that his gigantic form outgrew them even in the air, taking a more identifiable appearance. In their minds, in front of them was the outline of a massive dragon with piercing glowing eyes promising them nothing short of death.

Overtaken by fear, they did not even notice Issei charging up his next attack.

AMATERASU

Suddenly Dohnasheek and Kalawarner's wings lit ablaze as black flames consumed them.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" they both screamed in agony as they plummeted to the ground without their wings. Being burned alive, they tried to put out the flames by dousing themselves with water spells yet the flames continued to burn strong as it slowly started to spread throughout their entire body. When that didn't work, they tried rolling around the ground like a dog but all that did was make the flame spread even faster causing them excruciating pain.

"**It's useless. Those are the flames of purgatory. They will continue to burn until they have reduced their target to nothing but ashes.**"

"AAAHHHhhhhhh…" Their screams eventually came to a halt as the flame consumed them. They shared the same fate as their other fallen angel comrade as Raynare stared at the ashes that was once her comrades.

Issei then suddenly disappeared from view. But, by the grace of God, that she had abandoned, her survival instincts somehow managed to kick in just in time to barely, by the skin of her teeth dodge from Issei's fist. However, the shockwave caused by the force of his fist was enough to send her spiralling towards the wall.

"AHHHHHHHH." She screamed in pain as she coughed up blood. She definitely suffered a few crack ribs from the impact. She was reduced to this from nothing but the mere force of his strike. She could not believe it.

"**Oho, you actually managed to barely dodge that one. Gotta say, I am impressed that you were able to manage that**." Issei was honestly surprised that she managed to pull off such a feat. Survival instincts are never to be underestimated it seems.

"**Let's see if you can pull that off a second time**" he said, preparing to finish her off. However, before he could so, a few more soldiers sprang out of hiding hoping to kill him in a surprise attack.

It seemed that they were biding their time until they found the right moment to strike.

Unfortunately, this opponent was beyond their league.

"**I told you, it's useless**." He said as he stretched his arms side and blasted the incoming soldiers with a wave of fire, incinerating them into ash. However, those few seconds of distraction seemed to have been enough for Raynare to bolt towards the door leading upstairs. It was pure luck that Issei blasted her near the entrance of the room so with adrenaline coursing through her veins, she bolted towards the door when his attention shifted to his attackers trying to escape with her life.

Seeing his 'prey' escape, Issei deliberated whether or not to pursue but decided not to. He remembered the layout of the building so the only way out for her to take were the staircase that led upstairs so he would let the others take care of her. He was pretty sure Rias would want to take care of the fallen angel who harmed Matsuda herself and she was too injured to do anything anyways. Taking a deep breath, he shifted his attention back to his primary goal and walked towards the protected Asia. When he was near, he dispelled his holy sphere and destroyed the artifact she was tied to, catching her in his arms when she fell. He checked to see if she had any injuries but luckily, it seemed she was merely unconscious making him breath a sigh of relief.

Looking at her reminded him of a certain promise he made to a certain someone and he was glad he was able to keep it.

'_I was able to keep my promise… Sensei_' he thought to himself as he looked up at the ceiling letting his mind wander..

* * *

Raynare was running down the halls, busy escaping with her life from that despicable abomination. She was clearly out of breath already but pure adrenaline and fear for her life kept her moving, wanting to get the hell out of there. All of her plans, her army, her allies… completely destroyed in an instant by one entity. She needed to warn her superiors about this dragon. Maybe they would be able to deal with this, this… thing. They had no idea that such a powerful entity resided in this city. All she had been told was that this city was governed by the little sister of the current devil king Lucifer but that she was no threat. Despite the additional forces given to them, they were not prepared to deal with such an almighty being.

Running up the stairs, she finally arrived to the altar room.

"hah… hah Freed… we need… hah … to get out right now" She tried to catch her breath as she called out to Freed. However, when she received no answer, she started to worry when she heard a feminine voice.

"If you are looking for that stray exorcist, he ran away with his tail between his legs just a moment ago. Fufu, good help is so hard to find these days, don't you think." Raynare looked up to see the crimson haired princess Rias Gremory in front of her. Next to her was her queen Akeno, who was still sporting her shrine maiden outfit. Kiba was standing in front of her, ready to protect his king from all dangers. All around her, she could see that the bodies of the remaining exorcists that were stationed here were dealt with. Pretty much another massacre. Some bodies were sliced, some crushed, others electrocuted and singed while others were simply erased by the power of destruction of the Gremory.

_(For the Kiba vs Freed fight, it just pretty much went like in the anime or light novel so I didn't want to repeat it. Short version : Kiba and Freed sword fight, he uses his sacred gear to create a blade of darkness that sucks Freed's light sword, kicks his ass and Freed smoke bombs and escapes. LOL) _

"AHHH" All of a sudden, she felt someone struck a blow behind her causing her to crash on the floor in front of Rias. She turned her head to notice that it was a short white-haired girl who struck her from behind. With the injuries she suffered a while ago from Issei, she could barely move anymore. She was trapped with no way out.

"I'm honestly surprised that you were able to escape from Issei-kun. He did not seem like the type of guy to allow such a thing. But at the very least, it allows me the chance to pay you back for all the harm you caused to my adorable pawn. So, I should thank him when I see him next time for giving me this opportunity." Rias said as she casually made her way forward to the lying fallen angel.

Raynare slowly looked up in contempt, still in pain from all her injuries.

"Damn you and that abomination of a dragon!" she sneered at Rias who did not seem to care, however one person clearly was affected by what she said.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH" Raynare instantly got electrocuted by a lightning bolt shot from Akeno who was extremely angry that this fallen angel had the audacity to insult her boyfriend. Her hatred for fallen angels spurred on once more, making her remember why she hated them.

"How dare you insult Issei, you wench" she said with clear distain in her voice. This was probably the first time everyone had seen Akeno this angry when she is usually very elegant and gentle. Even during her bouts of sadism, they had never seen such raw anger coming from her. Although since this is concerning Issei, it made sense.

Eventually, the torture ended. Her body twitching in agony as she could barely move. Is this where it all ends was the thought currently occupying her mind.

No… she didn't want to die here, not after all the sacrifices she made to get this far.

"Any last words, fallen angel before I make you disappear." Rias said in a cold tone filled with killing intent. Raynare was really scared, not knowing what to do.

That was when she spotted Matsuda located a bit behind Rias who seemed to be a bit conflicted. That is normal considering that she was his ex-girlfriend when she acted as Yuuma.

"Matsuda-kun, please help me" Matsuda reacted simply because that was the voice she used when she was acting as his girlfriend.

"This devil is trying to kill me. Please save me! I… I actually had a fun time when I was with you. I still have the arm band you bought for me. It was a wonderful gift that I treasure with all my heart." She somehow was able to lift her arm, revealing the band Matsuda bought for her during their date trying to emphasize what she was saying. She looked at him with pleading eyes and continued

"Please don't let her hurt me Matsuda-kun. I love you so please save me" she pleaded to Matsuda who had a very hard time thinking straight. He clenched his fist so hard that blood could be seen dripping from his fist as his nail penetrated his skin. All he could do was remember the words she told him at the end of their date on that fateful day.

[Will you die for me?]

She was his first ever girlfriend. He really did try his best. He made so many plans regarding his first date. He remembered how super excited he was and how he thanked God for giving him this one moment. He even went as far as thinking about a possible future with her. He was fantasizing about spending many Christmas and Valentines day together like a love-stricken idiot. He was even prepared to destroy all his perverted magazines which was a big thing considering what a massive pervert he was. Yet, it all came crashing down that day as more flashbacks of Raynare's vision and words came to bear

[I don't want a filthy low class Devil like you even saying my name.]

That day, her words shattered his heart into a million little pieces.

[Hahaha! Yeah, it was indeed a very royal date! Thanks to it, I was really bored.]

Then after completely destroying his heart, she then killed him on the spot, leaving him to die, as he was bleeding with a hole in his chest. It was certainly, the most devastating day of his life. At some point, he realized that he started crying as a few tears were flowing down his face. He then turned towards his king.

"Buchou… I am really at my limit here… so please…"

Hearing that, Raynare's expression froze.

Rias nodded "How dare you try to play with Matsuda's heart after what you did to him. I will not forgive you for that so, good bye fallen angel Raynare" Rias conjured an orb of destruction and shot it at Raynare

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

Was all Raynare could say before the demonic power shot erased her and left nothing of the fallen angel except a few black feathers that seemed to sway in the wind.

Matsuda could not help but look away from his ex-girlfriends remains but he understood she was evil and thus needed to die. At least now it was all over. He felt a hand brushing on his shoulder and looked to see it was Rias who wanted to see if he was okay. He returned a smile to let her know it was which seemed to calm her down.

"**Ah, I see you guys are finished here**" Everyone turned towards the newly appeared voice and noticed it was Issei but his appearance took them for a loop. All over his body were crimson scales, a deeper red than even Rias hair, reptilian slits replaced his eyes and even more noticeable were the 2 large dragon wings springing out of his back. The were easily 2 meters in length. If they had any doubts about him being a dragon, they were quickly discarded now that they had a full view of him now. Even Akeno was a bit surprised. In the past she used to see him partially transform himself into a dragon but this time, she could feel the aura of dominance oozing through him and she liked it. Everyone else simply stared at awe at Issei's features until Matsuda looked at what he was holding.

"Asia! Is she alright!" asked a very worried Matsuda. Indeed, in his arms was little Asia who they came to rescue. He checked her and was relieved to see her chest rising up and down meaning she was simply asleep but most importantly, she was alive allowing him to breath a major sigh of relief.

"**She is alright. I already dealt with all the enemies below us and made sure she was safe the entire time. Sh**e is just unconscious at the moment, and should wake up very soon." Issei's voice slowly returned to his original one as his scales slowly dissipated, his eyes returned to his human ones and his wings retracted back into his back. He then walked towards an untouched bench and laid Asia there, letting her rest until she wakes up.

"Ufu, so like I thought, you let that fallen angel escape, didn't you?" Rias giggled as she posed her question making Issei answer her with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Meh, I figured you would want to deal with her considering all the trouble she did to your peerage and in your territory. Of course, she was already injured from our scuffle so there was no chance for her to escape even if she wanted to." Issei said as he turned around to face them properly.

"By the way, catch Kiba." Issei took something out of his pocket and threw it at Kiba who caught it thanks to his reflexes. He looked at the object tossed to him and saw that it looked to be a sword handle. He looked to Issei hoping for an explanation for the item presented to him which he gave soon after.

"That is the weapon that the soldiers down stairs were using and I was hoping you could shed some light on what it is. At first, I thought it was simple light sword like the ones the exorcists were using but during our battle, I noticed that they were able to change the characteristics of the sword from one of light into a dragon slayer. I was surprised but since I was in the middle of a battle, I moved it to the back of my head and focused on my fight. I don't know if it is a special property of the sword itself or if it was an ability those soldiers possessed so after the end of the fight, I grabbed one to bring to you and see if you could explain this little conundrum since you are the expect swordsman here." Kiba smiled and nodded

"Very well, let me see what I find." Kiba began inspecting the handle to see what he could find out about it. It was beautifully crafted, he had to admit even for an enemy sword but that doesn't matter. Like his sword master taught him, it isn't the weapon who is evil but the wielder who uses it for malicious purposes that is evil. Seeing that there is no switch to activate the sword, he theorized that the weapon activated with one's power so he pushes his demonic power into the blade and low and behold a blade of light emerged from the handle. Now he wanted to test whether or not the blade had the ability to change properties or it was simply an ability used by other people; but once again there was no switch so he focused strongly on the sword picturing a dragon slayer. Sure enough, the blade of light changed properties as it changed into a deep red color. Issei frowned a bit, Asia's body seemed to have shifted a little in her sleep almost as though she could feel an ominous presence in front of her and Matsuda, being part dragon thanks to his boosted gear, took a step back from the ominous vibe the sword seemed to ooze. However, this was all the conformation Kiba needed to make an assessment.

"Fascinating, it appears that this handle has similar abilities to my sacred gear." Kiba said only to notice Issei raise a brow in confusion. He then recalled that issei did not know that he had a sacred gear and decided to rectify that.

"Oh, it's true, you don't know. My apologies Issei-kun. Anyways, just like Matsuda-kun as well as Asia, if I recall her name correctly, I also have a sacred gear. It is called Sword Birth and it allows me to create as many demonic swords as I want and I can even alter the attribute the sword according to my will." Kiba started explaining then conjured a sword of ice in one hand and a regular demonic sword in his hand to demonstrate his ability.

"As you can see, I can create any kind of demonic swords at will. I can even give my swords certain property depending on the circumstances. For instance, during my fight against the stray exorcist Freed, I created a sword of darkness that swallows light in order to counter his light swords and that is how I managed to defeat him. So basically, depending on the opponents and circumstances I can alternate between swords to fit the situation. That is in a nut shell what my sacred gear is." Kiba finished his explanation as he dispelled the two swords he conjured earlier.

_Whistle_ "Wow, that is indeed a very useful sacred gear you possess Kiba. In fact, it's function seems similar to my flames." This time it was Kiba who raised a brow but before he said anything, it was his master that asked the question he wanted

"Really, how so?" Rias asked curious to learn of Issei's abilities.

"Well, unlike Kiba whose power revolves around swords, mine are based entirely on my flames." Issei lighted up his fists as bright orange flames emerged from his hands to demonstrate then continued.

"Not to come across as arrogant or anything but I have perfect control over the use of my flames and through lots of training have managed to develop multiple abilities using these very flames. You've already seen one of them when I protected you from that Stray devils desperate attack last time. That ability is known as Flame Barrier which basically, as its name suggests, create a barrier made of dragon fire that protects me or anyone I wish from attacks granted they aren't stronger than me. Any weak attacks that even come into contact with my barrier instantly get reduced to ash like you've seen previously. Anyway, I created a variety of different abilities but by complete accident, I discovered another aspect of my power that I never even dreamed off. It seems I possessed the ability to actually change the property of my flames." His right flame suddenly changed from an orange hue to a blue color surprising his friends but none more so than Rias because she learnt how tough it was to manage that. She approached her hand towards the flame and realized that instead of heat, she felt a chill.

"Wow, the fire is cold. I can't believe you were able to do that. During my education, it's been said that something like that was practically impossible to do even for experts. It's amazing." Rias remarked. Issei agreed with her statement.

"You are correct Rias. According to my shishou, even experts would find it difficult to accomplish such a level of mastery that I have done. Plus, there is also the fact that fire is perhaps one of the most volatile elements to control and to be able to change it's property is something even gods find it hard to do and let me tell you, it was not easy training these flames. Many times, I've had my flames blow up in my face when I tried experimenting with them. If I had been an average person, I would have probably died during the explosion. Anyways, it took me almost 7 years of grueling training to gain complete mastery over my flames but it was well worth the price but I believe we are getting off topic here, you were saying that the swords possess the same properties as your sacred gear Kiba?" Issei dispelled his flames and turned his attention back to Kiba.

"Ah yes, Issei-kun. This sword possesses the ability to change its properties based on the users will. It truly is a fascinating weapon; however, I believe it is nothing but a prototype device." He stated causing Issei to tilt his head in confusion.

"What do you mean? How can you know that this is a prototype?" Issei asked his question.

"It's better if I showed you." Kiba answered as he used his power and activated the sword to form a light sword, then he deactivated it and tossed it back at Issei who caught it in his hand.

"Now you try activating it. Simply put your aura into the device and it will activate." Kiba explained to Issei. Issei followed his instructions and poured his aura into the handle and low and behold a light sword was created. After carefully examining the result, Issei quickly understood what Kiba was getting at.

"They have the same power output." Issei said to himself but loud enough for Kiba to hear which caused him to smile.

"Exactly! Normally, a high-class sword would usually draw power from it's wielder and would be strong or weak depending on its user. However, this sword seems to have a set limit for the amount of power it can use. I believe it was most likely done to balance out the ability to change its property so due to this fact, it will not be able to surpass an ordinary sword of a single attribute. Kind of like a jack of all trades but master of none. This is why I believe that this is just a prototype version of the sword. I am pretty sure that my sacred gear could easily overpower anything this sword produces even though our abilities are similar. Whoever created this must have sent them here as a test run to see their effectiveness in battle. That's as far as my observation goes. If we want to know more, we should probably give this to Ajuka-sama since he is the technological expert in such matters." The last part was directed at Rias who nodded at her knight's suggestion.

"Good idea kiba-kun. I'll ask my brother to notify Ajuka-sama of our findings and, with any luck, he might be able to trace this device back to it's creator. If anyone can do it, it's probably him." Issei nodded to Rias.

"Very well, in that case, I will leave this device in your care." Issei said.

"Whoever created these devices is one hell of a genius. It really is a bit scary to think that a man of such intellect could possibly be an enemy." Kiba added.

"All we can do is wait and see." Rias stated thereby ending the conversation.

"Well, now that this is done and over with."

Akeno stepped close to Issei and suddenly pinched his cheek as hard as she could.

Issei was blindsided and couldn't react or brace himself at all, so he took the full brunt of this cheek abuse.

"Ow, ow, owow, oi, Akeno! that's hurts." Issei exclaimed. It really did hurt as he rubbed his cheek.

"Well, that was for leaving us and going on ahead. What if something happened to you? I was very worried" she told him with a sour look. Everyone started to giggle at Issei's plight.

"but but but but time was of the essence so I had to hurry to save Asia" He tried to explain himself to her. He really was pressed for time and needed to save Asia as quick as he could, although he couldn't blame her for worrying. She just loved him that much and was scared to lose him. He did feel bad about it though so he wanted to make it up to her.

"I'm really sorry Akeno. What can I do to make it up to you. I will do anything you want." He proposed to her instantly sparking a reaction from her but not in a good way.

"ara… anything you say." Akeno said. Her tone sounded very excited. Her eyes possessing a glimmer of mischievous intent as her inner sadist seem to rise up, scaring Issei a bit as he took a step back.

"W Within reason, of course, he heh heeeeeeeh." Shit, he totally forgot that his girlfriend was a massive sadist and he had given her the green light to do anything she wanted. He may have told her that he would do whatever she wanted within reason but there is no way he could deny her anything, really. And, he knew that she knew that he knew that which is why her smile did not decrease one bit when he told her his response. He needed to think of something to save himself. On the side, he could see Rias barely able to contain her laughter, Kiba giving him a sympathetic smile, Koneko acting… like she usually does and Matsuda seemed to have hidden himself behind a bench scared of Akeno when she acts like this.

'_Oh come on, you were willing to dive straight into the enemy headquarters to save Asia, yet you are frightened by something like this_' thought Issei when he saw Matsuda cowering behind a bench like a scared chicken which is kind of ironic considering that he too was scared of his girlfriend at the moment. A prime example of the pot calling the kettle black.

"Ohhhh I know, how about I take you on a date tomorrow or whenever you want." He hoped his suggestion for a date would calm her down and it seemed to work. The glint that was in her eyes seemed to have vanished and replaced with a look of happiness.

"Ara ara, a date with Issei-kun. I guess that will do… for now." She said making Issei breath a sigh of relief, happy to have dodged that bullet.

'_Dammit aunty Shuri, why did you have to pass on that trait to your daughter_!' It was the first time in his life that he mentally cursed his aunt. Issei sighed. Nothing he could do about that. Oh well, as they say life isn't fair and it seems that holds true even to the son of dragon gods.

"Mmmh…" That small noise alerted everyone that Asia was starting to wake up from her slumber. Matsuda quickly removed himself from his previous hiding spot and moved closer towards Asia having been worried about her. Everyone turned their attention to Asia who slowly rose up rubbing her eyes before opening them. She then glanced around in confusion, not understanding what happened before she caught sight of two people she recognized alongside many other individuals she did not.

"Matsuda-san, Issei-san… w what happened?" she muttered unsure of the current circumstances. Issei smiled

"Well, what do you remember Asia?" he decided to ask.

"ummm, I remember Matsuda-san taking me to visit many places then we ended up strolling to the park. Afterwards, Raynare-san showed up injuring Matsuda-san who tried to protect me. I think she then teleported but then everything is blank for me." She recounted as much as she could remember getting a nod from Issei.

"I see. Well to keep it short you were basically kidnapped by the fallen angels who wanted to extract the healing sacred gear within you for their own purposes. We all then stormed the building guns blazing and after taking care of the enemies, we managed to save you from their ritual and now here we are." Issei tried to add a little humour which seemed to work as Asia giggled a bit but then got up from the bench she was in and bowed to everyone.

"In that case, thank you all very much for saving me! I am truly grateful" she sincerely thanked them.

"Although Issei said all that, he really is the one who saved you. We just dealt with the enemies up here while he took care of all the fallen angels by himself so he is the one who deserves your thanks" Matsuda responded looking down with a bit of shame. He really wanted to do more but, in the end, he left it all up to Issei.

"That is not true, Matsuda. If anything, you were the first to take the initiative to come here to rescue her even if you had to do it all by yourself. Even though, I would have gone to save her, I probably would have taken my time which may have led to different circumstances but your initiative is what made me follow you. In addition, by taking care of the enemies here, you allowed me to reach Asia that much faster which allowed me to interrupt their ritual before they could extract Asia's sacred gear. You all deserve as much credit as me in saving her so chin up pal." Issei tried to reassure Matsuda to the best of his abilities.

"I still want to thank you all for saving me, no matter what" Asia gave them all a sincere smile.

After a moment of silence, Rias decided to speak up.

"Very well, if we are all done here, it is time to go home" she said earning a nod from everyone as they exited the church.

* * *

In another place, several figures could be seen talking to each other

"Oh my, it seems I can no longer get a read from the soldiers I sent as reinforcements for your subordinates, meaning they have most likely been killed. How… unfortunate, I spent quite a while on their modifications but oh well… at least I received some data on the prototype sword I created. Quite pleased on that so it is not a total loss." said one of the male figures, although he seemed to have a very feminine voice. One of his colleagues raised a brow at his discovery.

"Killed, you say? Are you certain? It isn't only your soldiers but also a lot of stray exorcists as well as fallen angels that have been sent to that place. For all of them to have been dealt with is something I find very hard to believe. Oy Kokabiel, didn't you say that only Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri were located at that place. They should not possess the strength to be able to deal with a force of such numbers?" said a very worried male who addressed the third person present who was revealed to be the fallen angel cadre Kokabiel. Kokabiel simply shrugged.

"Calm yourself, Valper. They must have sent their own reinforcements to aid the two brats. Even though they are weak, they are still siblings of 2 devil kings. No way would they let anything happen to them. I'll admit, it was a small miscalculation on my part but in the grand scheme of things, it matters not. Luckily, they provided enough of a distraction for us to retrieve 3 pieces of Excalibur so in all, it was not for naught. I still have plenty of available subordinates, just as there are still plenty of stray exorcists who have joined your cause. By the way." Kokabiel turned to his other collaborator, taking something our of his pocket and handing it to him.

"Here are the blue prints you wanted on Azazel's machine. It was a bit tricky to get them so I hope it was well worth it. Also, how goes the retrieval of the fourth piece from the Vaticans?" The unknown figured gladly accepted the blue prints from Kokabiel and began examining it with excited eyes.

"Ah, so these are the blueprints for the Sacred Gear Remover machine. How fascinating! I can't wait to build one with even more efficiency. Also, to answer your second inquiry, I have successfully retrieved the Excalibur Blessing piece, although it came at the loss of many of my followers. I have to say, that Griselda Quarta is a very dangerous exorcist. As expected of the brave saint of the Seraph Gabriel. If it weren't for her, it would have gone more smoothly. However, thanks to my brilliance, we have the fourth piece in our possession which should arrive here in a about a week. Although, do you think your boss is aware of your betrayal?" he asked Kokabiel who crossed his arms.

"Hmf, I have no doubt that he probably already suspects me. He may be a pacifist but he is not an idiot and with Raynare having already stolen the artifact, he will definitely be aware of it but that is of no cause for concern. Even if he knows, he would not do anything due to his fear of restarting a great war. What a fool! I can't believe we elected a pacifist to lead us." Scorned Kokabiel wearing a very angry expression.

"I also have a piece of good news to impart. My spies have informed me that Heaven will send two exorcists here to investigate the theft of the pieces but the best news is that both wield two other pieces of Excalibur. How generous of Heaven to send them right at our doorsteps. Finally, my research on holy swords will finally bear fruit." Said a very ecstatic Valper.

"Michael is just as much of a pacifist as Azazel is. He wouldn't dare send his angels here for fear of bringing war to their doorsteps. How about the location of the last piece? Any luck finding it?" Kokabiel asked his colleagues.

"Unfortunately, not! The last and strongest piece, Excalibur Ruler had been missing ever since its creation and no one seemed to have found where it had gone." Valper answered.

"Oh my, I haven't had any success either in locating the final piece. Whoever is in possession of it has done a marvelous job in hiding it all these years. A pity too. The experiment would have been a lot easily had we had all pieces assembled. Oh, what a sight that would have been."

"It matters not. Even without the final piece we have what we need to make our plan come to fruition. How long before the rest of the preparations are accomplished?" Kokabiel asked wanting to know how long before they can begin their objective. Azazel may be a fool but he is no idiot. Kokabiel had no doubt that Azazel will soon make a move against him. Even if he can't intervene, he will probably find some way to warn the devils of his arrival so they could not afford to waste to much time. Even he isn't stupid enough to believe that his power is enough to face the combined might of the 4 Maous by himself. He will simply take them down one by one and when his plan succeeds, he will finally get the chance to prove that fallen angels stand superior above all other races.

"I've already started assembling many stray exorcists to join our cause and I am in the midst of analysing the pieces of Excalibur so, in my calculations, I should be done in a couple of weeks." Valper explained his side to Kokabiel who then turned his focus to the other person in the room who simply kept his cheery attitude.

"Oh my! Are you doubting my ability to get things done? Well, don't worry everything is proceeding according to schedule so you have nothing to worry about."

"Good! Oh and before I forget, I believe I have something that may be of use to you." Kokabiel removed what seemed to be a small bag from his pocket and handed it to his companion who wondered what he was given until he opened it and noticed a golden glow coming from the articles within and for the first time, became truly surprised.

"Is… Is this what I think it is?" Kokabiel smirked.

"Yes indeed. Those are scales of one of the 5 Dragon kings Fafnir. For some reason, Fafnir formed a pact with Azazel and is taking part in aiding him with some of his crazy inventions. These scales were given to Azazel as part of their agreement. Unfortunately, I could only snatch a few of them without drawing attention but these should be enough for those new toys of yours, right. You could use them for the base of your project as long as it does not cause any delays" Kokabiel told his associate who seemed to be over the moon with his gift.

"Of course, Kokabiel. Who do you think you are talking too. It's true it would take a normal scientist months to accomplish what we need, but with my abilities and these" he lifted to reveal his primary tool before continuing "you can be sure I will finish everything on time. Plus, with these added to my collection, I will be able to further improve my experiments, reaching new heights that no scientists has ever dreamed of reaching. I have to say, this partnership of ours has indeed been very fruitful for me."

"As long as you come through with your part, then that is all that matters. In any case, both of you let me know when your matters are settled so we may begin the next phase of our plans. It's only a matter of time before Azazel and the others figure up what we are up too." Kokabiel warned them.

"Very well" They both answered at the same time.

"If there is nothing else, then you are all dismissed." Kokabiel waved his hand thereby ending the meeting.

It is only a matter of time until he gets what he wants.

**Chapter end**

**That's the end of the chapter. As you all saw, I introduced some Issei's uses of his multiple flames, not that he needed it. I could have just made him brute force his way but I wanted to introduce his abilities to you guys.**

**I'm not exactly the most creative or good when it comes to fight scenes so I hope I did a good job for you guys. **

**Also, I said this before but if any of you guys want to suggest me some abilities that Issei can use, then feel free to PM me with a detailed description of the ability and how it could be used and I may be able to put it in my story. There are no wrong answers. That is why I gave a detailed description of his abilities during a flashback so that if you guys wanted to pitch in your ideas then I welcome it.**

**In fact, shoutout to johnny284756 who came up with the move HOLY SPHERE. **

**Now some of you probably have already identified who the mysterious third person is during the villainous meeting but I ask that you do not reveal it for those who do not. Feel free to PM me with your guess and I will gladly tell you if you are correct or not.**

**Now I also have another question I wanted to ask you guys. Would you all prefer Asia to live with Issei or with Matsuda. It won't really affect my story much since even if she does live with Issei, most of the interactions will occur in Matsuda's place or if she lives with Matsuda, she will still meet with Issei's parents and probably even visit the dragon territory. **

**Asia will still become a member of Rias peerage**** and will also end up being with Matsuda. Sorry to all of you who wanted Asia to end up with Issei and although you all had sound arguments of why she should be one of his harem members, facts that i never even considered, i already wrote a few scenes that require Matsuda and Asia to be together otherwise i have to scrap everything i did and i really do not want to put all of that to waste.**

**So, at the very least, iw anted to give you guys an opportunity to decide with whom she will live with.**

**I will put up a poll and wait up to 2 days before closing it and that will be where Asia will live.**

**Also, next chapter I will finally reveal what type of dragon, Asia is and of course the date between Akeno and Issei will be going on. I'm still thinking whether or not to implement lemons in my story considering I'm not exactly really good at writing those. I can only really read other fictions and see how they do it but that is a something for future chapters.**

**As usual, feel free to review or PM me. **

**Thank you all for reading my story and I'll see you all next time**

**I hope you all stay safe and healthy during this pandemic.**

**Mairsarmy321 out**


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